Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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Conference Focuses on Improving Newborn Health

Conference Focuses on Improving Newborn Health
In the first newborn health conference, international healthcare organizations are pleased with advancements to improve the health of newborns in developing countries. These organizations include the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the US Agency for International Development and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Although newborn deaths, malnutrition, and stunted development are beginning to decrease, representatives of aid organizations say that more support is needed.

Attendees of the conference are planning to release a “global action plan” in the upcoming year to present a strategy for even further reducing these newborn deaths. With this new call to action, we can hope to see the current statistics for newborn deaths and illnesses continue to decrease.

Unfortunately, newborn deaths are all too common in the developing world. In 2011, approximately 20,000 newborn babies died and, in 2009, there were over 22,600 stillbirths in South Africa. The global statistics are even more shocking. 60.9 million children died in 2011 and, of these, 43 percent of deaths occurred during the first four weeks of life, three million died within a week, and two million babies died the day they were born.

Graca Machel, the wife of Nelson Mandela, spoke urgently on the subject. She pronounced the issue of newborn health to be a top priority for UNICEF. “Too many of our newborn children here in Africa are dying too early. We are not reaching the targets we have set ourselves in the (UN) Millennium Development Goals. The issue of newborn health has long been a hidden challenge,” she said.

All organizations involved remain committed to working together to reduce newborn death rates through research and by working with the agriculture department to address malnutrition, the cause of stunted growth. The groups also plan to implement programs on training midwives and newborn healthcare education. Together, UNICEF, USAID, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation hope to change the lives of millions of new babies.

– Mary Penn

Source: BDLive

IMF and World Bank Back Bold Poverty Agenda

IMF and World Bank Back Bold Poverty Agenda
On Saturday both the IMF and World Bank backed a bold poverty agenda to eradicate extreme poverty within a generation. The goal comes from the Development Committee – a subcommittee of both the IMF and the World Bank.

This bold poverty agenda serves as a “historic opportunity” to make a difference. World Bank president Jim Yong Kim has called the initiative an important step towards the eradication of world poverty, but one that will require focus, innovation, and commitments from everyone in order to succeed.

The logistics of the Development Committee’s plan include reducing the percentage of people who currently live on less than $1.25 a day to three percent of the global population by 2030. Additionally, the committee would like to work towards raising the incomes of the poorest 40 percent of people in each country.

While this seems to be a noble and necessary goal, the committee did note the obstacles they will need to overcome to be successful. The committee and agenda will need to be supported by strong growth across the developing world, as well as an unmatched translation of growth into poverty reduction in several of the world’s poorest countries.

Among the aforementioned challenges, the committee has also recognized the institutional and governance challenges that will have to be overcome, along with substantial investments in infrastructure and agricultural productivity. All of the above challenges, while difficult to overcome, express the World Bank and IMF’s renewed commitment to eradicate extreme poverty.

The committee’s exuberance for this goal stems from Dr. Kim’s passion for eradicating global poverty. The committee members have supported Dr. Kim’s vision. Committee chairman, Marek Belka, explains that Dr. Kim has been very influential in expressing the World Bank Group as a partner in the fight against extreme poverty.

This announcement aligns closely with the World Bank’s core mission of creating a world free of poverty and follows the recent spring meetings in Washington.

– Caitlin Zusy 

Source: AFP
Photo: Google

Top 5 Photos of Atrocity

In May of 2012, the Daily Mail posted an article regarding author Matthew White’s book, “The Great Big Book of Horrible Things” which ranks the worst atrocities in history. The rank lists World War II as number one, the regime of Genghis Khan as number two, Mao Zedong’s regime as number three, British India famines as number four, and the fall of the Ming Dynasty as number five. The Soviet Union’s Joseph Stalin ranked as number seven, and the Atlantic slave trade as number ten. (The list of all ten is available on Daily Mail.) On another source, the worst atrocities are ranked based on death tolls marking WWII as number one, the regime of China’s Mao Zedong as number two, Soviet Union’s Stalin regime as number three, WWI as number four, and the Russian Civil War as number five.

For the purpose of objectivity, it is important to note that all atrocities are significant and that these calculations seem mostly based on numerical and statistical measures. The presented list below will rank the top five photos of atrocity based on a combination of measures: timeliness (1945-present), death tolls, and global-scale emotional significance.

1) WWII led to approximately 55 million deaths (including the Holocaust)

Hiroshima

(the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki)

2) (1949-1987) During China’s Mao Zedong regime, approximately 40 million lives were lost

ChinaFamine

(Famine during the Great Leap Forward)

3) (1975-1979) Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge/Pol Pot regime caused approximately between 1.7 to 2 million deaths.

PolPotKhmerRouge

4) (1994) Rwanda’s genocide led to approximately 800,000 deaths

RwandanGenocide

5) (1980-1989) The Soviet-Afghani War which led to approximately 1, 500,000 deaths

SovietAfghanWar

– Leen Abdallah

Sources: The Hemoclysm, Religious Tolerance
Photos: Daily Mail, Google, Google, Google, Google

Second Green Revolution in India

Second Green Revolution in India
For India, the issue of food security has been a chronic blight that has plagued the 1 billion strong nation ever since its beginnings. Recently, the government has launched a comprehensive program aimed at alleviating the widespread malnutrition and low birth weights of many infants and children. In a bold move to add even more momentum and resources toward the fight against food insecurity, the Department of Agriculture has launched the Second Green Revolution in India.

The Second Green Revolution in India was celebrated during the farming festival of Uzhavar Thiruvizha, which will last until May 20th. During the festival, organized by the Department of Agriculture and Ministers from varying levels of Indian Government, farmers were invited to take part in educational seminars covering issues such as water usage, soil testing, and pest control. In addition to the educational aspects of the Uzavar Thiruvizha, 114 farmers also received financial assistance and farming assets valued at 72.42 lakhs.

In regards to the overall goals of the Second Green Revolution in India, Joint Director of Agriculture Mohammed Kalimullah Sherif remarked that “Under the ‘Second Green Revolution’ underway in the State, it has been planned to double the crop production and increase the revenue of farmers threefold over a period of three years ending 2015.”

Government investments such as the Uzhavar Thiruvizha highlight the ongoing commitment of the Indian government in tackling future food security challenges and alleviating chronic malnutrition. Furthermore, through the coordinated efforts of the Second Green Revolution in India, the mission of doubling current agricultural outputs is a goal that has never been more attainable.

– Brian Turner

Source The Hindu
Photo DeshGujarat

Mitchell Besser’s TED Talk on Mothers Helping Mothers Fight HIV

Mitchell Besser’s TED Talk on Mothers Helping Mothers Fight HIVIn South Africa, Mitchell Besser tapped a new resource for healthcare: mothers themselves. The program he started, mothers2mothers, train new mothers to educate and support other moms. Mothers2mothers employs HIV-positive moms themselves to complement the work of doctors and nurses. After a two-month training, mentor mothers work with other moms with HIV to help them understand how to keep from transmitting HIV to their babies. In his TED talk, he suggests that doctors, nurses and mothers should work together, and mothers should help each other, building up the communities to fight HIV together and after all, mothers care about mothers.“There is hope, hope that one day we shall win this fight against HIV and AIDS.”

– Caiqing Jin (Kelly)

Source: TED Talk

Dance Away World Hunger with Zumba

Dance Away World Hunger with Zumba
Zumba Fitness has launched, “The Great Calorie Drive”, encouraging participants to not only burn calories but donate them as well as they dance away world hunger. Zumba is a dance fitness program based on world rhythms and choreography and is working with Feeding America and The United Nations World Food Program.

The program invites individuals to “give the world a reason to dance” and to donate calories burned to Feeding America and the World Food Program. Zumba Fitness CEO, Alberto Perlman believes hunger is one of the world’s greatest solvable problems, and they are eager to do what they can to combat it. They hope to be able to touch millions of lives through this program.

The campaign will donate the equivalent of the average amount of calories burned per class, which is around 750, to Feeding America and the World Food Program from now until June 13.  They would like to reach the goal of 2.6 billion calories, which will translate into roughly 3.5 million meals for the world’s hungry.

In order to promote the program, Zumba released a PSA featuring performing artist Lil John and multi-platinum selling artist Phillip Phillips. The PSA featured an inspirational look into how average people can make a huge difference in the lives of many while bringing us closer to eradicating a problem that affects millions of people worldwide.

The program will work through a free mobile app available on smartphones. The app will direct people to their nearest Zumba class where they will check in on the phone and the calories will be automatically donated towards, “The Great Calorie Drive”. Additionally, Zumba will be offering limited-edition apparel and accessories. Thirty percent of those proceeds will also go towards Feeding America and the World Food Program.

– Caitlin Zusy

Source: The Wall Street Journal
Photo: NewsWire

Indonesia’s Fight Against Tuberculosis

Indonesia's Fight Against Tuberculosis
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is currently working with the Indonesian government in the next step in the fight against tuberculosis (TB). Indonesia has already had significant success in fighting the disease and USAID is helping fund research to help the country completely eliminate fatalities caused by TB.

Last year, USAID granted Indonesia The Champion Award for its exceptional accomplishments for the category of “Work in the Fight Against TB”. Indonesia’s work with the World Health Organization (WHO) has helped decrease the number of TB-related deaths and raise awareness about the disease, as well as bolster the opening of new treatment centers. Today in Indonesia, more than 88% of people with TB have been successfully treated.

When patients have only been partially cured through treatment, TB sometimes resurfaces as multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB. USAID’s latest initiative in Indonesia will focus on helping fund research and treatment centers to help find new solutions to the public health threat of MDR TB. Indonesia will likely accomplish the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of fighting TB in the very near future.

– Kevin Sullivan

Source: Global Post
Photo: CRW Flags

13-Year-Old Developed Lion Lights to Protect Cows

13-Year-Old Developed Lion Lights to Protect Cows
13-year old Richard Turere developed Lion Lights to protect his cows. Growing up in the Masai community near Nairobi, Kenya, Richard was responsible as a young boy for taking care of his father’s cows. In an area of poverty, livestock is very valuable to individual families and the loss of a cow or bull can be devastating.  The Masai community borders the Nairobi National Park which has little fencing to keep the animals in, resulting in the death of some cows by lions that had wandered out of the park.  Richard knew there had to be a solution and after trying several methods to try to deter the predators, he concluded that lions were afraid of moving light. When Richard would walk around the cow pasture with his torch, the lions would stay away.

Taking an old car battery, a blinking light, and an old flashlight, Richard used solar power to run a system that randomly blinks lights throughout the night. He calls them Lion Lights. In the last two years since he set up his Lion Lights, his family has had zero problems with lions. Richard has also installed the Lion Lights in several of his neighbor’s pastures.

The invention has led Richard to the opportunity to attend a well-known school and landed him a TED talk.  It can be viewed here. An impressive 13-year old, Richard’s ability to solve a problem in his community is an excellent example of the importance of equipping and empowering communities to lift themselves up and provide for their own needs. Rather than a handout, this community was changed by the invention of a then 11-year old boy.

– Amanda Kloeppel

Source: TED

Global Universal Threats

Global Universal Threats
Bujar Nishani, the Albanian President, asserts that crime, poverty, and terrorism are interconnected and that together, they create new global universal threats. The president also said that development, security, and human rights are interconnected. Thus, there is a push for international organizations to shift their focuses to meet the change in global challenges.

In 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was established to protect Western countries against the threats of the Soviet Union. However, after the Cold War, these threats shifted as the political environment of Europe changed. The President asserts that the “central role of NATO throughout this process has been strengthened in guaranteeing the security of the Euro-Atlantic zone.” The shift in NATO’s priorities has occurred in recent years due to the new global threats which arose after the Cold War. Some of these priorities included: the Partnership for Peace, separate relations with Russia and Ukraine, dialogue with Mediterranean countries, and more.

In recent years NATO has been involved militarily to fight against terrorism and other new global threats. In order to improve NATO’s abilities to address these threats, the Prague Summit of 2002 established 3 key goals which included establishing a NATO Reaction Force. The U.N. Organization expressed the need for major reform of NATO’s capacity so that new global threats are efficiently addressed. The President also stated that “very powerful countries feel unimmunized and even vulnerable when faced with the asymmetric dangers of global effects,” and thus, countries have been increasingly more cooperative with each other to fulfill their responsibilities of improving security, maintaining peace, and tackling these global threats.

– Leen Abdallah

Source: Hurriyet Daily News

Earth Day 2013–13 Things You Can Do

Earth Day 2013--13 Things You Can Do
On April 22, the world will celebrate Earth Day.

Earth Day is a great opportunity for eaters, farmers, and food businesses to make changes in their diets, shopping habits, and production practices that will promote sustainable, healthy food throughout the year.

From Uganda and India to the United States, farmers are gaining economic stability and supporting healthy communities through sustainable agriculture practices, As eaters, we all can do our part to support systems that protect both human health and the planet.

This year Food Tank: The Food Think Tank is celebrating the ways everyone can protect the planet, on Earth Day, and every day this year.

Here are 13 recommendations from Food Tank for ways to support the future of food, health, and agriculture:

1. Eat more colors

The colors of fruits and vegetables are signs of nutritional content. A richly-colored red tomato has high levels of carotenoids such as lycopene, which the American Cancer Society reports can help prevent cancer, as well as heart disease. The relationship between nutrients and color is also true for other foods. Eggs that have brightly orange-colored yolks are also high in cancer-fighting carotenoids and are more likely to be produced by healthier chickens.

2. Buy food with less packaging

Discarded packaging makes up around one-third of non-industrial solid waste in industrialized countries, with negative impacts on the climate, and air and water quality. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s analysis of different packaging for tomatoes found that polyethylene terephthalate (PET) clamshell packaging increases tomatoes’ associated carbon emissions by 10 percent. The most effective way to limit the impact of packaging waste is to prevent it. Choosing foods with less packaging can also be better for our waistlines since highly processed foods that are low in nutrients generally use more packaging than more healthy, less-processed options.

3. Choose seasonal produce

Earth Day offers a great opportunity to bring more seasonal fruits and vegetables into diets. Many farmer’s markets, including the New York City Greenmarkets, offer guides about which products are in season. Locally sourced, seasonal products can also be found at major grocery stores. Another way to get seasonal foods is to sign up for a weekly CSA, which provides a mix of fresh, seasonal produce throughout the year. Other programs, such as Siren Fish Co.’s SeaSA in San Francisco, offer seasonal meats and seafood.

4. Get in touch with agriculture

This time of year, many people are starting to plan vacations. A great way to skip the crowds, save money, and get both children and adults in touch with agriculture is to book a farm-stay through World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF). WWOOF runs networks in most countries around the world, offering individuals and families the opportunity to directly support small-scale family farmers. Participants spend a few days or weeks living with a host family and helping with tasks around the farm in exchange for free food and lodging.

5. Get creative in the kitchen

Shopping at farmers’ markets, which often have a wide selection of less-ordinary produce such as celeriac, sunchokes, or kohlrabi, can prevent “food ruts” by helping consumers try new foods. When looking for inspiration, many popular recipe blogs, such as smitten kitchen, allow users to search by ingredient, as well as season. Publications such as Diet for a Small Planet and The Boston Globe‘s new Sunday Supper and More e-cookbook series also offer tips on reusing leftovers to reduce food waste.

6. Invest in perennial crops

Perennial plants — plants that grow back every year — tend to hold water in the soil more effectively than annuals and help prevent erosion. Their extensive roots also allow them to better access nutrients and water, reducing the need for artificial fertilizer. Researchers from the University of Illinois found that perennial prairie grasses are up to four times as water-efficient as row crops such as corn and wheat. The Land Institute works to breed perennial varieties of corn, wheat, rice, and other annual crops.

7. Reclaim abandoned spaces

As populations continue to expand, especially in cities, reclaiming unused land and buildings for food production can help meet growing demand. One new model is The Plant, a former meatpacking plant in Chicago that has been converted into an indoor vertical farm. The Plant currently runs an aquaponics farm, growing plants without soil using waste from its manmade tilapia pools. It also offers shared kitchen space for small businesses and other services.

8. Build local and global food communities

A great way to get involved in food and agriculture issues is with Slow Food International, an organization with more than 1,300 groups around the world called convivia. These groups support healthy, sustainable diets and traditional food cultures. In addition to local initiatives, Slow Food convivia also arrange regional and international events on important food and agriculture issues, such as Slow Food València’s recent conference on the influence of food in health and disease.

9. DIY

Many Do-It-Yourself (DIY) food projects are easy and fun. Turning old t-shirts into produce bags to save plastic, starting seeds in eggshells, which can then be crushed for transplanting into the soil, and DIY foods such as homemade oat or almond milk can all add a creative twist to healthy eating and sustainable agriculture. Plus, they are lots of fun for families.

10. Cook in batches and freeze for later

Planning meals in advance can help reduce stress around cooking. It also helps reduce food waste, which is a big problem in industrialized countries A great way to reduce waste and make planning easy is to cook large batches of a single meal, such as soups or curries, which can be frozen and reused on short notice later in the week. Preparing large amounts of food at once saves energy during cooking, while freezing helps prevent nutrient loss in fruits and vegetables. For those days when there is more time to cook, tools such as Love Food Hate Waste menu planner shopping list can help organize grocery trips.

11. Brighten your outlook

At the recent Warwick Economics Summit in February, Warwick University Economics Professor Dr. Andrew Oswald presented his research on health and happiness, focusing on the link between happiness and consumption of fruits and vegetables. His team of researchers found that eating more fruits and vegetables directly improves a person’s mental well-being, separate from other variables such as income level and how much meat a person ate. This research is supported by a similar study from the Harvard School of Public Health, which found a link between patients’ blood-level of carotenoids, compounds commonly found in colorful fruits and vegetables, and their feelings of optimism.

12. Use crop rotation

Crop rotation is an important way to preserve soil nutrients, prevent erosion, and protect against crop diseases and pests. In the central Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, agronomists at Agronorte have developed new varieties of rice and dry beans that are well suited to the region’s tropical climate. By incorporating rice and beans into their yearly harvests, local soybean farmers can reduce the spread of soybean rust and nematodes, two of the biggest threats to their crops. The system also improves soil quality and provides jobs at times when soy and corn are not harvested.

13. Embrace conviviality around the table

Talking and laughing while sharing food is a uniquely human experience. Conviviality, joyful and friendly interaction, is found at markets and around the dinner table, and it supports healthy relationships and healthy bodies. The Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition considers convivial food culture one of the most critical aspects of food and agriculture, alongside health, hunger alleviation, and sustainable development. Researchers from Cornell University and the University of Minnesota agree, reporting that the benefits of family dinners on children’s mental health and achievement levels depend on engagement with their parents at these meals.

Standing up for the future of people and the planet is important on Earth Day and every day. This week is a great chance to work toward making 2013 a year for sustainable food and agriculture!

– Katie Brockman

Source Huffington Post
Photo Catholic Web Services