Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

B Corp Certification for Socially-Responsible Businesses

B Corp Certification for Socially-Responsible BusinessesAs Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) grows, wouldn’t it be great if consumers could have clear indicators of which companies and products were part of this beneficial social movement? There is – B Corp Certification.  A concept introduced five years ago, B Corp is “like the Fair Trade label but for a whole company, not just a bag of coffee,” said co-founder Jay Coen Gilbert.

The organization certifies companies once they have met standards of social and environmental performance and have changed their bylaws to take into account the impact of their decisions on the environment, community, and employees. “Increasingly there are businesses that want to create value for all their stakeholders, not just their shareholders,” said Andrew Kassoy, another of B Corp’s founders. “These companies are competing not just to be the best in the world, but best for the world.”

About 650 companies have embraced the status so far, including Patagonia, Etsy, and most recently Ben & Jerry’s, one of the original socially driven companies (now owned by Unilever). Mr. Kassoy called Ben & Jerry’s news a “big deal,” and hoped Unilever’s decision to pursue B Corp certification would “influence other multinationals” to do the same.

David Griswold, the founder of Sustainable Harvest, a Portland-based coffee importer, knew from the beginning that he wanted to start a project to help others. But he also saw challenges to the success of starting a non-profit – not being able to “reach scale.” They needed significant investment from the beginning to accomplish their mission, and they needed money to grow. “It was only when my company grew, and I began to reinvest my earnings in coffee communities abroad, that I saw I could really make a difference.” He said he felt that a for-profit business would work best for his goals.

B Corp certification helps with giving “legitimacy” to for-profit businesses that want to prove their moral sincerity, especially when trying to partner with non-profit foundations to increase their community development.  It also helps explain to investors why they operate as they do to secure more capital, and allows consumers to make educated buying choices.

Devin Hibbard, a B Corp supporter and owner of Beads For Life – a non-profit that operates “very much” like a business, says, in the end “it’s all about poverty eradication” through commerce.

– Mary Purcell

Source: The New York Times
Video: You Tube

How USAID Is Helping Ethiopian Farmers

How USAID Is Helping Ethiopian FarmersIn alliance with the Ministry of Industry of Ethiopia and General Mills, USAID launched the African Alliance for Food Processing Project in Ethiopia on April 18.

This project has been designed to increase the availability of affordable and nutritious food in Ethiopia as well as increase the competitiveness of Ethiopia’s food processing sector. This sector of Ethiopia’s economy is one of the oldest industries in Ethiopia.

Among the goals of this project, supplying Ethiopia with wheat processing and milling to increase quality management and meet national standards remains tantamount. The African Alliance for Food Processing works with food companies and food industry associations to attain this goal and to expand market access for smallholder Ethiopian farmers.

The effect of providing Ethiopia with this type of aid is two-fold. It helps support local industry and reinforces the push to grow Ethiopia’s economy as a whole. It also enables local food processors to provide quality and healthy food which can be sold at a lower price since it’s locally produced.

Another benefit of the African Alliance for Food Processing is that it falls in line with USAID’s push to lower foreign worker occupation in impoverished countries. By providing Ethiopia with information, USAID enables Ethiopian residents to solve their own economic difficulties making the workers more accountable and the results more satisfying.

– Pete Grapentien

Photo Source Flickr

“Kick-Off” With A Day Without Shoes

"Kick-Off" With A Day Without Shoes

April 9 marked Aurora University’s second annual “A Day Without Shoes,” which is a day to spread global poverty awareness.  Faculty and students took off their shoes and embraced the significance of the day. The day started off with a simulated dinner, called the “Interactive Hunger Banquet,” where 50 participants were divided and put into groups based on their income level. The Director of Student Leadership at the university expressed how this day allows participants to recognize global economic issues by experiencing them firsthand.

Global poverty affects almost half of the world’s population, and many cannot afford a pair of shoes, let alone afford basic needs. Not wearing some form of shoe may lead to “infection and soil-transmitted diseases that could easily have been prevented.”

In addition to being barefoot for the day, participants engaged in a “Make Your Own Shoes Workshop” where they learned how to construct “makeshift” shoes. The university also had a shoe drive that managed to successfully collect over 1,000 pairs which were then donated to local and international organizations.

– Leen Abdallah
Source: Aurora News
Photo: Google

International Cooperation: UAE and UK

UAEUK

The Minister of Development and International Co-operation (UAE), Lubna Al Qasimi, met with the Chief Minister of Island of Jersey, Senator Ian Gorst yesterday. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss international developmental and humanitarian actions and to boost cooperation between the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. According to Shaikha Lubna, the UAE is trying to “align their points of view, in order to enhance the development and humanitarian efforts globally in the underprivileged countries.”

The contributions made by the UAE has allowed it to advance its rank globally in its achievement of developmental and humanitarian aid; thus, the UAE’s acquirement of the 16th rank pushes donors to raise their efforts in supporting developing countries. Senator Ian Gorst examined the “potential cooperation opportunities with UAE” and highlighted the projects and the mechanisms as to how these international development programs will be handled. The Senator went on to commend the UAE’s expertise in international development and the humanitarian standpoint. He applauded the successful efforts of the UAE in delivering aid and assistance to “affected people of man-made crises, such as in wars, food deficiencies, drought, poverty, in accordance with the directions and estimations of the international institutions.”

– Leen Abdallah
Source: Khaleej Times
Photo: UAE Interact

M-Farm: Mobile Farming in Kenya

M-Farm

The SMS revolution seems to have been a product of the earlier decades of the mobile phone industry. In many developing countries however, its use has gone far beyond sending a simple text message or smiley face. M-Farm is a company that offers Kenyan farmers quick and cheap access to real time prices for different crops.

Why M-Farm is so revolutionary is because it eliminates the middlemen whose selective naming of prices usually leaves the farmers shorthanded. M-Farm uses the prices put out by the Ministry of Agriculture as well as the going rates in five different markets throughout Kenya to create a collective list of prices. By texting their name, location, and crop name to 3555, farmers first see the going rates and can then select to sell their own crops on the M-Farm market. Not only can farmers see the prices for crops but also gain access to a competitive market for farming supplies.

The company also publishes graphs that illustrate trends for different crops, blogs, and articles regarding different farming techniques and practices, and creates an online and mobile community for farmers to communicate with one another to share ideas and experiences.

It may come as a surprise to many but cell phone use even in a developing country such as Kenya is widespread. Although one may not see Apple iPhones or Android phones in the hands of an average Kenyan, software and apps such as M-Farm are so successful because they do not require internet access. Communication is established through text messaging and this free service will expand Kenya’s agricultural market and economy.

– Deena Dulgerian

Source: M-Farm

Using Migration as an Advantage

Using Migration as an Advantage

As the world deals with the movement of millions of people as refugees, illegal immigrants, or simple shifts of communities, it is important for countries experiencing these changes in large numbers to recognize that whether they choose to identify it as an issue, for better or worse, it is not going to disappear. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon led the first day of the 46th Commission on Population and Development in New York whose 5 days conference will address how countries should deal with migration, both internal and external.

It is at a point when halting the movements of people takes more energy and wastes more time than finding solutions that will harness their skills and help them assimilate into their new home. Ban Ki-moon brought up the reality of the situation that “It is not a question of whether to halt the movement of people across borders. The question is how we plan for such movements and make the most of them.” The same 5 goals should be taken into consideration in a variety of situations: whether it is for Syrian refugees fleeing across borders to Jordan or Iraq or Sudanese fleeing Darfur for another region in their country.

  • Ensuring the safety of migrants and a legal passage

  • Creating a direct connection between the policies on migration and the job market

  • Recognizing the presence of illegals and addressing their concerns

  • Facilitating societal integration for the migrants into their new communities

  • Allowing for a timely return to home countries if necessary

While these goals are clearly easier said than done, following this path would ensure that migration is not a win-lose situation but more of a win-win. For countries experiencing such population patterns, we must hope that they understand how important working with migrants is to not only better their lives, but perhaps better the lives of their country’s long time citizens, economy, and general fit into the global arena.

– Deena Dulgerian

Source: UN News Centre

Bieber Concert Tickets Benefit the Red Cross

Bieber Concert Tickets Benefit the Red Cross
For Justin Bieber, Jonas Brothers and One Direction fans, there is an ultimate concert package available right now until April 26, 2013, to meet and see all of them in concert – and the best part is the auction price benefits the American Red Cross.

CharityBuzz.com is hosting the auction, where four people will win:

  • Four Tickets to a Justin Bieber concert in June at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA
  • Meet & Greet with Justin Bieber
  • Four Tickets to a Jonas Brothers August 16, 2013, Los Angeles, CA Gibson Amphitheatre
  • Meet & Greet with the Jonas Brothers during a private lunch with the band
  • Four Tickets to a One Direction concert in August at the Staples Center in LA, CA

The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering due to emergencies and natural disasters, by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. It is not a government agency, it is independent and neutral, and operates for the good of all. The Red Cross originated in 1863 to care for and protect wounded soldiers and introduced a common red cross symbol to protect medical personnel on the battlefield. The global Red Cross, and more recently Red Crescent, mission and scope have evolved into the world’s largest humanitarian network – the only NGO with specific responsibilities outlined in the Geneva Conventions. Today, the American Red Cross and its partners provide humanitarian assistance to the world’s most vulnerable populations.

Some celebrities know they have an obligation to give back to the people and communities that built them, and they are in a unique position to have a massive impact. The bid now stands at $10,500.

– Mary Purcell

Source: CharityBuzz, Red Cross

 

Bill Clinton’s First Tweet: the Global Initiative

Bill Clinton's First Tweet: the Global Initiative

Bill Clinton was featured recently on the Colbert Report to talk about his global initiative. Here are some of the main questions and responses that Stephen Colbert asked the former U.S. President.

Why help other people?

We live in an interdependent world… The more you reduce poverty overseas, the more you increase education and improve healthcare and empower women and girls, the more you will have growth overseas the more there will be global growth, the better off Americans will be. Every time you cut off somebody else’s opportunities, you shrink your own horizons.

But why ‘Global Initiative’? Why not call it the ‘Clinton America Initiative’?

Fixing America, in part, depends upon having a more receptive world to improve in, one that makes our growth more relevant and  effective.

How would you compare CGI to other big groups that get together like TED Talks?

The simple answer is that here, everybody is expected to make a commitment..I thought people were tired of meetings and just wanted to do something, and it turned out that a fair number were.

Would you like to break into the 21st century right now and send in your first tweet?

Just spent an amazing time with Colbert. Is he sane? He is cool! #CGIU

As Colbert sends in Clinton’s first tweet, he says, “sir welcome to the future.”

– Leen Abdallah

Source: YouTube

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Can Converting Cellulose Into Starch Solve World Hunger?

Can Converting Cellulose Into Starch Solve World Hunger?
When considering the most pressing issues confronting global poverty in the next 30 to 40 years, none are more alarming than the food shortages predicted to accompany a worldwide population of over nine billion people. In an effort to ameliorate future food insecurity, more and more research funding has been allocated towards finding sustainable, nutrient-dense complex carbohydrates capable of meeting the caloric demands of a greatly expanded populace. Quite astonishingly, in a turn of events that have even researchers optimistic about future food security challenges, scientists have recently discovered a way of converting cellulose into starch.

Researchers at Virginia Tech’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, along with their College of Engineering devised an ingenious method of converting cellulose into starch by utilizing a process involving cascading enzymes. Basically, enzymatic reactions transform cellulose – an abundant carbohydrate contained in the cell wall of plants – into amylose and ethanol, which means that absolutely nothing goes to waste. The potential of the cellulose to starch conversion opens up exciting new frontiers in the fight against world hunger, as humans generally derive 20 to 40 percent of their daily caloric intake from complex carbohydrates such as starch.

In regards to the process of converting cellulose into starch, Associate Professor of Biological Systems Engineering Y.H. Percival Zhang remarked that “Cellulose and starch have the same chemical formula, the difference is in their chemical linkages. Our idea is to use an enzyme cascade to break up the bonds in cellulose, enabling their reconfiguration as starch.”

Scientific breakthroughs such as converting cellulose into starch serve to unlock the potential of feeding the entire world’s population without the necessary land, water, and fertilizer usage that wreaks havoc on the earth’s delicate ecosystems. Furthermore, by harnessing the scientific technology necessary to transform something as abundant as plant cellulose into a viable human food source, future challenges such as global food security are looking much more surmountable.

– Brian Turner

Source: Science Daily
Photo: National Geographic

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$500 Million ‘Rescue Mission’ Initiative Launched

$500 Million 'Rescue Mission' Initiative LaunchedWith cuts to foreign aid looming and some already in place, humanitarian organizations are going to become even more important in the fight against global poverty. Evangelical organization World Vision launched a $500 million ‘Rescue Mission’ initiative to help 10 million children living in poverty.  The ‘Rescue Mission’ initiative will focus on clean water, access to health care, and child protection.

Under the budget cuts that went into effect as of January 1, 2013, non-profits are predicting that there will be 1.1 million fewer mosquito nets distributed, 300,000 fewer people with access to clean water, and 2 million people with reduced or zero access to food aid.  This is cause for serious concern as we look at being less than 1,000 from the end date for the Millenium Development Goals (MDG).

World Vision launched the $500 million ‘rescue mission’ dubbed “For Every Child” which seeks to raise $500 million by 2015.  It is the farthest-reaching endeavor World Vision has ever taken on.  The initiative will focus on clean water, fighting communicable diseases, providing small loans to families, and protecting children from human trafficking.

When the government cuts budgets, it can be difficult for non-profit organizations to get the start-up capital they need to start new ventures. This campaign is important to continue the life-saving work World Vision is already doing around the world.  It will hopefully fill the gap from government funds and continue to promote the MDGs as we near the final stretch.  We have halved poverty in the last decade and it is very possible to continue the downward trend, but it is going to take a lot of hard work.

While the needs are great and the costs seem high, the alternative to pushing forward is not an option. As Richard Sterns, Executive Director of World Vision put it, “We’ve taken a hard look at the needs that exist today. They are great, but we refuse to believe that poverty is too big, too expensive, or too difficult to overcome-because for the millions of children living in poverty, the stakes couldn’t be higher.”

– Amanda Kloeppel

Source: Christian Post