Archive for category: Government

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Comoros Poverty Rate

Comoros Poverty RateLocated between the eastern coast of Africa and Madagascar with a population of over 800,000 people is the Comoros. The country is comprised of three islands, Ngazidja, Mwali and Ndzouani. According to The World Bank, about 45 percent of the total population falls below the poverty line. Inadequate healthcare, poor education and a rising population are the main contributing factors to the Comoros poverty rate.

Healthcare
The results of a 2014 World Health Organization report show that over half of all deaths in the Comoros are due to maternal, perinatal and nutritional conditions. The country severely lacks access to quality communal healthcare. With less than 5 percent of the budget dedicated to healthcare, operational facilities remain scarce. Fortunately, the country has seen progress in reducing the incidence of malaria. Spraying campaigns and the distribution of insecticide-treated nets across the three islands have greatly aided in its decline. The country has also seen noteworthy advancement in the under-five mortality rate and maternal mortality ratio.

Education
High repetition, increased dropout rates and poor learning outcomes remain problematic factors for the Comoros. High levels of illiteracy and dependency on foreign aid hinder economic development. However, according to The Global Partnership for Education, the Comoros has stepped up their access to quality education. The UNICEF Annual Report for 2016 shows the number of schools providing preschool education reaching almost 50 percent. Children are gradually starting to benefit from valuable education through the expansion of social, cognitive, motor and emotional skills.

Population
At a glance, the Comoros appears to be a very lightly populated country. But when compared to other regions, the Comoros ranks 25th in population density in the world. This ranking is predicted to increase, leading to more population pressure. The rising population has already led to widespread poverty in the form of limited land, lack of resources and unemployment. As a result, at least 150,000 people live abroad. Citizens are moving to countries like France in search of more space and essentially, a better life.

The Comoros poverty rate has started to improve thanks to a reformed poverty reduction strategy. In 2014, the country created a new growth policy that aims to strengthen the economy. Government, quality of life and resilience are all a major focus. The World Bank has also partnered with the Comoros in hopes of endorsing shared growth and increasing employment. Statistics verify that development for the region is slow, but eliminating poverty is a main priority.

– Emilee Wessel

Photo: Flickr

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Five USAID Programs That Improve Lives

USAID Programs

United States Agency of International Development (USAID) is a U.S. government agency that provides assistance to over 100 foreign countries to better human rights, poverty, global health and much more. USAID has been around for over 50 years, implementing different programs to help countries in need. Here are five USAID programs that have been implemented to improve lives around the globe.

1. All Children Reading

All Children Reading is a USAID program that is aimed at improving the quality of education for primary grade students. Through this program, students gain access to better materials and quality teaching. At the same time, teachers are taught how to better maximize their classroom time, as well as understand the importance of early learning.

Thus far, USAID has had success in Kenya, Malawi and the Philippines through these reading programs that have been implemented. For example, USAID worked with the Kenyan government to create the national Tusome initiative. This initiative has reached over 1.1 million students and helped teach them invaluable basic reading skills.

2. Neglected Tropical Diseases Program

The Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) program is one that focuses on developing cures for tropical diseases as well as providing access to these cures. USAID has partnered with many organizations and government agencies to be able to provide the necessary resources to help eradicate these diseases.

Five diseases that the NTD program focuses on are lymphatic filariasis, trachoma, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths. These diseases tend to affect the poor and marginalized populations; therefore, by making safe and cost-effective medication available, it can lead to better control of these tropical diseases.

3. Food for Peace

The Food for Peace (FFP) Act, as it was later known, was originally signed into law by President Eisenhower in 1954. Because of this, over three billion hungry people have been helped in the 60 years that the Food for Peace program has been operating.

The FFP works hard to predict and react to hunger issues overseas. It has developed many emergency programs that have helped to save lives and support early recovery in times of disaster. The FFP also implements development activities to help reduce food insecurity in vulnerable populations.

4. American Schools and Hospitals Abroad

USAID’s Office of American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA) provides assistance to schools and hospitals in other countries to serve as study centers for western medical ideas and practices. Through the ASHA program, USAID has provided assistance to over 300 institutions in 80 countries around the world.

Through this program, USAID is able to directly contribute to U.S. foreign diplomacy. USAID is able to provide opportunities to access quality education in parts of the world where it may not have been available before.

5. Child Survival and Health Grants Program

The Child Survival and Health Grants Program (CSHGP) is one that has helped reduce mother, child and infant mortality in about 24 countries around the world thus far. USAID, along with its 20 partners, focuses on high priority countries to provide funding in order to reduce these high numbers of mortalities.

Through community-oriented approaches, USAID also works with non-government organizations and ministries of health to solve the challenges that come with reducing mother, child and infant mortality rates. Many of these solutions are made specifically for local contexts; however, major concepts can be taken and implemented on a larger scale around the globe.

While USAID has implemented many other programs that help with global health, reducing poverty and increasing access to education, these five USAID programs have had a significantly large impact on the world. USAID continues to fight for those without a voice and develop new solutions to help those in need.

– Rebekah Covey
Photo: Flickr

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Freedom of the Press and Social Media in Cambodia

Freedom of the Press in Cambodia

Over the past few weeks, the freedom of the press in Cambodia has suffered significantly. The country normally displays an impressive ability to support unbiased news sources, but the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen has recently directed a crackdown on opposing press organizations.

In anticipation of a threatening 2018 election, the government has shut down 19 radio stations and charged exorbitant taxes to other publications that do not support Hun Sen’s government. The U.S., European Union and the U.N. have all criticized the Cambodian government for its recent actions.

However, Hun Sen is empowered by President Trump’s attacks on free press and the current domestically-focused agenda, which has led to weak engagement with Southeast Asia. In recent years, social media has become a main source of news for Cambodians, and parties challenging the government have been able to use platforms such as Facebook to their advantage.

Social media use in Cambodia has surged dramatically since 2010, with the 2015 growth rate of Facebook users being 30 percent each year. Eight out of 10 of Cambodia’s most popular Facebook pages are political information sources, including news publications and political figures. Cambodians want personal connections with political figures, and thus value the opportunity to engage with candidates on Facebook. Another contributor to high political activity is the heated political climate which makes every issue into a political issue, according to deputy opposition leader Mu Sochua. Sochua believes that Facebook will be a crucial platform to communicate with Cambodians about her party’s values.

Hun Sen’s rival political candidate, Sam Rainsy, has accused Hun Sen of buying Facebook “likes.” The post landed him in prison for defamation, which is yet another example of the government suppressing the freedom of the press in Cambodia. Leaks revealing unflattering information about opposing parties is a common occurrence on political Facebook pages.

During the Arab Spring, social media proved to be a tool that allowed discontented citizens to organize and make their voices heard. In the week before Egyptian President Hosni Mubaraks resigned, tweets about politics increased from 2,300 to 230,000 per day. Videos featuring political protest or commentary went viral, building confidence in the peoples’ ability to organize to force the change they want to see.

Demands for political freedom on social media has inspired other nearby countries, sparking political discussion in the entire region. Government efforts to restrict discussion on social media has only fueled the change makers, since social media is much harder to control than traditional press organizations.

The desire for reform regarding freedom of the press must originate from the Cambodian people, and Facebook can be a tool used to amplify their voices. The Cambodians’ extensive involvement in politics on social media is a promising sign for their ability to come together to protect their political freedoms, even when the freedom of the press is being threatened.

– Kristen Nixon

Photo: Flickr

AGOA and MCA Strengthened

AGOA and MCA
The House Foreign Affairs Committee, including Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA), Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-NY), and Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Karen Bass (D-CA), joined forces to introduce legislation that will improve economic trade in Africa utilizing the Africa Growth and Opportunity and Millennium Challenge Acts.

The original African Growth and Opportunity Act (or AGOA) is a U.S. Trade Act enacted in May 2000. AGOA enhances access to the U.S. market for qualifying Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. In order to qualify for AGOA, countries have to be working to improve their rule of law, human rights and respect for labor standards. Although the act originally covered an eight-year time period until 2008, due to various amendments signed by both former Presidents George W. Bush and Obama, AGOA has been extended to 2025. The new amendments will update and strengthen the original act.

The amendments to AGOA will make information more readily available over the Internet to users in both Africa and the U.S. while encouraging policies that promote economic trade with Africa. They also provide technical assistance that allows participating countries of AGOA to utilize it to its full capacity.

The second part of this legislation will improve economic trade in Africa through updating the Millennium Challenge Act (or MCA). The MCA was passed in 2003 with the main purpose of providing global economic development through assisting in programs that will eliminate poverty while supporting good governance and economic freedom. These programs are run through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), which partners with countries directly in programs that encourage economic growth.

The new amendments to the legislation will allow the MCC to work with more flexibility in their mission to increase regional trade, collaboration, and economic integrity. To accomplish this, the amendments to MCA will allow two projects, or “compacts,” per country simultaneously. In the previous legislation, there was only one allowed—making it particularly competitive. Additionally, MCC’s private-sector board members can extend their term for two years, providing stability. Lastly, the reporting requirements of MCC will be strengthened in order to ensure greater transparency.

Upon the introduction of these amendments to both AGOA and MCA, Chairman Royce, Ranking Member Engel, Rep. Smith and Rep. Bass said in the press release by the Foreign Affairs Committee: “Moving developing countries away from aid and toward trade helps African companies, especially women. But it also benefits U.S. farmers, manufacturers and small businesses by providing new markets for their goods. So today we are introducing a bill to modernize AGOA and MCA—key laws in the effort to encourage African economic independence and promote U.S.-Africa trade. With Africa’s consumer spending expected to reach one trillion dollars, now is the time to accelerate this important trade relationship.”

The introduction of these amendments is a step in the right direction for economic trade in Africa. As so many other countries have invested in the economic growth of Sub-Saharan Africa, the US appears to be moving in that direction as well with the updates of AGOA and MCA.

– Sydney Roeder

Photo: Flickr

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Statelessness a Major Barrier to Human Rights in Estonia

Human Rights in Estonia

Estonia, a European country located near the Baltic Sea, has been a member of the European Union for 13 years. It is a parliamentary republic, but the country still struggles with the consequences of being under Soviet rule until 1991. Estonia has come a long way since the collapse of the Soviet Union, but there are still barriers to full human rights in Estonia as a result of ethnic tensions.

Child statelessness has consistently been a major issue in Estonia. Statelessness is when a person does not possess citizenship in any country. Over six percent of the Estonian population remains stateless, and many of those affected are children. There are several international requirements for statelessness that Estonia has yet to comply with, and they have the tenth largest stateless population in the world even though their overall population is only 1.3 million.

In January 2016, the government made amendments to citizenship laws to make it easier for people to become citizens, but it is still difficult for children between 16 and 18 years old who were not born in Estonia to become Estonian citizens. While statelessness barely impacts the level of education or healthcare these children receive, it can often make them a target of discrimination, causing them to experience unequal human rights in Estonia.

The tension between citizens and the stateless is a result of several factors. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the government enforced citizenship requirements that made almost 40 percent of inhabitants stateless, the majority of whom were originally from Russia. The requirements included an Estonian language exam. Human Rights Watch labeled this extreme process as “discriminatory” and in direct opposition to international agreements. Most of those discriminated against were Russians.

This discrimination is a result of fear. Under the Soviet Union, Estonia suffered from oppression at the hands of Russians. Even today, Estonians still remember the pain caused by the USSR. The president of Estonia, Kersti Kaljulaid, has openly expressed worry about Russia’s movements. While these fears are not baseless, Estonians end up projecting them onto their neighbors who are ethnically Russian, causing an environment that challenges the state of human rights in Estonia.

Because statelessness status in Estonia often results in discrimination against Russian-born individuals, the tension between the two ethnic groups is reinforced. With Estonia working towards reforming citizenship laws, Russian people living in Estonia will hopefully become Estonians and the country can fully heal the old scars left by the USSR.

– Julia McCartney

Photo: Flickr

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Why Is South Sudan Poor?

South Sudan Is PoorSouth Sudan is poor. In 2015, the extreme poverty rate increased to 66 percent. Only 27 percent of the population is literate, with an enormous gender gap: the literacy rate for males is 40 percent while the literacy rate for females is 16 percent. The infant mortality rate is 105 for every 1,000 births and 17 percent of children are not immunized. Roughly 38 percent of South Sudan’s people have to walk 30 minutes to access drinking water and 80 percent of the population does not have a toilet. The quality of life in this country is very low; however, with new policies the government can improve the country’s welfare.

Why is South Sudan poor? The landlocked country is isolated from humanitarian professionals and foreign investors. Poor roads make the country impassable during the rainy season. The World Food Program reported that they only have a three-month window to deliver 100,000 tons of food (roughly 6,500 truckloads) before the rains come and make many areas inaccessible.

Before South Sudan’s independence, the Sudanese government largely failed to build good roads in rural areas and left them neglected. Corruption was prevalent, causing those who controlled the companies’ capital to use those resources purely for their own gain.

The world’s newest country is still developing government infrastructure. Between 1955 and 2005, Sudan was engulfed in a brutal civil war, which left countless dead and homeless. After a failed peace agreement, South Sudan seceded from the north in 2011. However, fighting broke out in the country in 2013 and continues off and on to this day.

The new government is wracked by division and as a result does not have the ability to build roads, provide basic education or ensure the welfare of its constituents. Moreover, funds and resources are often channeled into certain areas while others are ignored. Violence also plays a key factor in hindering aid from reaching key areas.

However, conditions in the country could improve in the near future. A new government policy relying more on the country’s vast oil wealth could improve living conditions. The government has also made health and education a focus. The World Food Program is making progress in the country as well. The organization helped stave off a famine in 2014 when it dispatched 190,000 tons of food to the country and assisted 2.5 million people. South Sudan is poor, but there are many opportunities for improvement.

– Bruce Edwin Ayres Truax
Photo: Flickr

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What Does It Take to Become a Senator in the United States?

Become a SenatorOver the last few election cycles, an increasing number of stories have emerged about young people running for elected office. Millennials, it seems, are ready to be a part of the national legislative conversation.

What has been interesting about this phenomenon is the average age of these hopeful politicians. Erin Schrode, for example, ran for California’s District 2 seat in 2016 at the age of 24. Patrick Murphy, meanwhile, challenged Marco Rubio for one of Florida’s Senate seats in 2016 at the age of 33. When you keep in mind that the average age of the U.S. Senate is about 61 years old, these challenges are somewhat surprising.

This, therefore, begs the question, what does it take to become a Senator in the United States? What are the prerequisites, and how easy are they to achieve? The answer, it turns out, is quite simple. Below is the list of requirements:

  1. Be at least 30 years of age: One can run for office while they are 29 years old, but he or she must turn 30 before their first term would begin.
  2. Be a U.S. citizen for at least nine years: If an immigrant would like to run for office, they can, but they need to have been a U.S. citizen for nine years before doing so.
  3. Be an “inhabitant” of the state represented. This rule means that Senators must live at least some of their lives in the states they represent. This doesn’t have to be the majority of one’s life, though, as many Senators travel back-and-forth from Washington, D.C. to their respective states.

It should be noted that the intangible requirements to being an effective Senator are vital. Knowledge of local, regional and global issues are incredibly important components of governing that take years of study and experience to fully comprehend.

The official prerequisites, however, are a lot simpler than most would expect. As millennials and young people in general continue to be more interested and active in politics, it is important for them to know that the official roadblocks standing in their way are easily surmountable.

Truly, anyone can run and become a Senator if they set their mind to it. With the current political turmoil and the public’s interest in civic affairs, it will be interesting to watch the continued rise of millennial participation in our country’s governance.

– John Mirandette

Photo: Flickr

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How Foreign Aid to Colombia Benefits the US

Foreign Aid to Colombia In November 2016, after four years of negotiations, the Colombian government reached a peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a rebel narco-terrorist organization. As of July 2017, FARC rebels have turned over 7,000 weapons. The success of the Colombian peace process is partly due to U.S. foreign aid to Colombia. This assistance benefiting Colombia also helps the U.S.’s economy and national security.

The civil war between the Colombian government and FARC lasted more than five decades. 250,000 people died and 60,000 disappeared. FARC kidnapped American citizens and supplied nearly all the cocaine in the U.S.

To combat this, the United States has invested $10 billion since 2000 in Colombia through Plan Colombia, a bipartisan initiative to strengthen Colombia’s public institutions. President Obama updated America’s foreign policy in Colombia after the successful peace negotiations in 2016 by pledging an additional $450 million in foreign aid to Colombia through the new U.S. initiative Peace Colombia.

While Colombia is covering 90 percent of the peace accord implementation costs, the U.S. assistance is primarily targeted toward security, expanding Colombian state institutions into rebel areas and providing justice services for victims. Peace Colombia also enables USAID to work with the Colombian government, private sector and non-profits so that reintegrated FARC rebels and their families can find stable employment instead of reverting back to growing coca.

Although peace in Colombia is promising, issues persist. According to the United Nations, Colombian cocaine production and coca cultivation increased by 34 and 52 percent respectively in 2016. The upcoming 2018 elections in Colombia could also disrupt the peace process. Though President Trump reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to peace in Colombia in May, his administration requested to reduce foreign aid to Colombia for FY 2017 from $391 million to $250 million.

Nevertheless, progress has been achieved. Colombia is experiencing a steady decline in mortality and an increase in literacy. The country has the fastest growing economy in Latin America and is the leading U.S. ally in the region, becoming a major trading partner.

In testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee, Juan Sebastian Gonzalez, an Associate Vice President of The Cohen Group and former Special Advisor to Vice President Biden, stated that a secure and peaceful Colombia creates potential for U.S. businesses to invest and leads to a more secure U.S., especially in regards to drug trafficking.

On August 13, Vice President Pence, while visiting Colombia, said the U.S. will continue its partnership with Colombia because “…we’ve long recognized the importance of Colombian security and prosperity to our own.” Pence also complimented President Santos of Colombia, stating that “…Colombia represents the future of Latin America. It is a future of freedom, security, and prosperity. And America stands with you.”

– Sean Newhouse

Photo: Flickr

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How to Help People in Saudi Arabia

How to Help People in Saudi ArabiaA long-standing ally of the United States, Saudi Arabia is famous–some may say infamous–for the vast oil reserves in the country and the wealth and geopolitical clout that oil grants the nation of 32 million. Despite its fortunes, much of Saudi Arabia’s citizens live in an outdated system that oppresses and threatens the rights of both other nations in the region and its own people. Though their own nation may do far too little, how to help people in Saudi Arabia is a question well worth asking.

Domestically, Saudi Arabia still adheres to a system of male guardianship under which patriarchs control nearly all aspects of female family members’ lives, including who they marry, what opportunities for an education or career they can or cannot pursue, and even their ability to move about and interact in public. This guardianship system falls in line with the overarching sharia law that the nation as a whole is governed by, which is notorious for the abuses that can be carried out under its banner, such as vague and broad charges, lack of due process, censorship and corporal punishment, up to and including public execution.

Internationally, the Saudi government has used its influence to promote the spread of sharia law in the region, and funding for terrorist groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda can be traced back to Saudi sources. Additionally, Saudi Arabia has been engaged in a conflict in Yemen in which they have conducted numerous unlawful airstrikes that have taken the lives of over 4,000 civilians.

The Saudi government and people have a lot of obstacles to overcome before their nation can enjoy the same freedom and rights of many Western nations. Here are some ways to get involved and how to help people in Saudi Arabia:

-Write to your representatives in Congress encouraging the U.S. to require more transparency from Saudi Arabia for it to receive U.S. aid. Currently, the country fails to meet the standards of financial transparency that are technically required, but continues to receive the money due to its importance as an ally in the region.
-Get involved with programs that advocate for women’s rights in nations like Saudi Arabia, such as the U.N. Women initiative and its subsidiary the Commission on the Status of Women, of which Saudi Arabia is a member. By backing the programs and campaigns of U.N. Women, the hope is to help the Saudi people and make their nation worthy of its seat on the Commission.
-Educate yourself on the issues affecting the Saudi people and the complex geopolitical situation the country is entangled in.
-Hold the U.S. accountable for continuing to support and sell billions of dollars in weaponry to a nation that treats people in the manner Saudi Arabia does.
-Spread information on social media about Saudi Arabia’s human rights abuses and support of terrorism.

The quandary of how to help people in Saudi Arabia has no easy solution, and each viable method will take a long time and a lot of effort to see tangible change. But there are still valuable steps that can be taken to helping those who are suffering in Saudi Arabia.

– Erik Halberg

Photo: Flickr

Supporting Poverty Reduction Through Immigration Legislation

The debate over immigration is one of the key tenets of modern U.S. political discourse. The poverty aspect of the conversation, however, is frequently ignored.

But some academics have taken to asking an intriguing question: should poverty reduction through immigration legislation be taken more seriously as a proposal?

The data bears out how legal immigration can benefit both parties when it comes to alleviating poverty. Among Mexican immigrants, the largest foreign-born group in the U.S., those with legal recognition have a 12 percent lower rate of poverty than the undocumented. Average annual income is around $6,000 higher.

The domestic economy, and U.S. workers, can benefit from these influxes. The labor market becomes more efficient and managerial positions often appear and are usually filled by native-born Americans. Employers are also spurred on to comply with labor, health and safety regulations, unlike when undocumented migrants form their employment base.

The 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act stands as a testament to what federally sponsored legal immigration can do to reduce poverty both domestically and abroad. The legislation legalized the status of 2.7 million immigrants and in the process increased their wages by 5 percent. A frequent criticism of a more liberal immigration policy is that it encourages poverty to ‘migrate’. This fails to account for the impact bills like the 1986 act can have to encourage poverty reduction through immigration.

More successful than some humanitarian and foreign aid projects, migration is capable of alleviating poverty among some of the most at-risk nations in the world. Haitians, the most poverty-stricken people in the Western hemisphere, have migrated in large numbers to the U.S. and Canada, often as refugees. Now, around four out of every five Haitians who are above the poverty line live abroad. These migrants, in turn, often repatriate wages back to Haiti to support their relatives.

Encouraging legal immigration as a policy goal could be under threat in 2017. The White House has made moves to significantly curb legal migrants and a new proposal endorsed by President Trump seeks to greatly limit the availability of green cards to family members of existing immigrants. The number of refugees will also be cut in half.

Congress appears unwilling so far to pass such a bill. Some Republican Senators have highlighted the economic benefits of legal immigration to their home states, such as South Carolina’s Lindsay Graham. They could join Democrats in universal opposition to the proposal and effectively kill it.

Treating immigration as a poverty-solving method could prove effective if taken seriously on Capitol Hill. While it appears any restrictions to legal immigration remain unlikely to pass, poverty still is a largely absent feature of the debate. The 1986 Immigration Reform Act, in particular, should stand out as an example of how to support poverty reduction through immigration.

– Jonathan Riddick

Photo: Flickr