Archive for category: Volunteer

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Mandela’s 100: 6 Ways to Alleviate Poverty in Africa

Mandela
Nelson Mandela is known internationally for his great activism for equal rights for all. Mandela was a South African political leader, beginning his career as a lawyer determined to free his fellow black Africans.

July of 2018 marked his centennial, and though he may no longer be alive, his legacy continues on. His anti-apartheid revolution improved levels of poverty in Africa, and his words of inspiration will forever impact others: “Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings.”

The Nelson Mandela Foundation

Today, many people still celebrate Nelson Mandela’s work through the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Barack Obama recently gave a speech in celebration of Mandela, encouraging philanthropists everywhere to honor his work. Celebrities like Oprah, Jay-Z, Usher, Ed Sheeran and others are coming together to put on a concert for the Mandela 100 Fest in South Africa.

For those interested in celebrating Mandela, there are several ways to get involved. Action occurs at three levels:

  • Having the humanitarian mindset to care for supporting poverty in Africa
  • Being willing to communicate that concern and the need for aid
  • Finally jumping into action to provide the hands-on work.

Here are the most impactful ways to follow in Nelson Mandela’s legacy and help alleviate poverty in Africa.

6 Ways to Alleviate Poverty in Africa

  1. Believe in Humanity. Before one can bring about change and support for equality and basic human rights for all, the mindset has to exist. It is crucial to truly believe that all humans are deserving of the same dignity and respect. No cultural group is less human than another. Find commonality in humanity and advocate for justice in all corners of the Earth.
  2. Support Democracy. Democracy is the form of government that is ruled by elected officials in which members of the political boundary or state have been given the power to elect. Democracy means that everyone has a voice; thus, less oppression is allowed to take place. Though Africa as a continent is moving toward democracy, some countries remain oppressed, especially those in extreme poverty in rural areas. By supporting democracy in Africa, corruption and widespread violence can be eliminated.
  3. Empowerment. Being oppressed means that your voice isn’t being heard and that you are part of a marginalized, automatically disadvantaged group. The situation often seems hopeless when you are treated as insignificant. Any support for poverty in Africa is helpful, but when individuals feel empowered, minds expand and spirits rise. Be a part of lifting people up to feel empowered to seek out basic human rights — health, education, equality and social justice.
  4. Educate Yourself. With so many ways to access current events, it is fairly simple to stay current on global news. In developed nations, internet access is readily available to almost all persons. Take it upon yourself to seek out the facts and stay informed. Read the newspapers, subscribe to newsletters through your email or on your smartphone, or even search the internet for international happenings. It is important to be aware of credible sources versus not, so that you don’t fall victim to unnecessary hysteria. Another part of being informed about foreign affairs is to know who your public officials are as well as what policies exist for poverty in Africa — both pending in status and already in place.
  5. Dialogue. Don’t underestimate the power of communication. Poverty is a gruesome reality in Africa and many other underdeveloped nations. In a busy day-to-day life, there are many social interactions with people in social and professional circles. Many of these people will be aware of what is going on, and many will not. If people are having the conversations about poverty in Africa, its ramifications and how the U.S. as a leading global country can help, then the more likely it is for social action to ensue.
  6. Volunteer Your Time. Individuals in America and other developed nations can help alleviate poverty in foreign lands without having to travel or donate money. You can make a difference by taking action. Simple acts like calling your representative or sending an email can help bring attention to foreign aid. If time allows, meet with that representative to discuss the importance of supporting poverty in Africa. Contribute to an organization by organizing or volunteering for a fundraiser.

Leave a Mark

Nelson Mandela advocated for citizens of Africa to have the right to education, health, hunger, gender equality, literacy, peace and poverty while also supporting many charities. He has left his mark by not only his influence on political change but also his passionate and relentless motivation of people around the globe.

– Heather Benton

Photo: Flickr

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College Service Trips: A Mutually Beneficial Relationship

service trips
Every year, colleges and universities in the U.S. send students on service trips to the most impoverished nations on the planet. The students form teams and are sent with the intention of helping in small ways to create lasting impacts in the poor communities. What doesn’t get highlighted is the lasting impact that the poor communities have on the students.

Tyler Neville graduated from Saint Joseph’s College of Maine in 2017 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications. During Neville’s freshman and junior years, he took part in one of the school’s annual service trips. The Borgen Project interviewed Neville about his experiences.

“My main motivation was my desire to travel. Service trips seemed a perfect blend of satisfying that while also managing to do some good for people,” Neville said. While providing aid to Guatemalans, he built a home for a family in need using “very basic construction methods.” Neville said the family was grateful. “They were quick to let us know how appreciative they were of what we were doing.”

Mutual Benefits of Service Trips

Neville’s experience convinced him everyone could benefit from a visit to a third world country. “To see people be so happy, caring, giving and generally wonderful with so much less than anyone I knew is a real eye-opening experience, and one that really changed how I viewed the world.” From his time in Guatemala, Neville formed a bond with the indigenous people strong enough to change his worldview. 

Why Volunteer Abroad?

Sending college students to the world’s most impoverished areas has become a movement. The Huffington Post wrote an article giving tips to prospective student volunteers. It provides service trips as an alternative to the usual winter/spring break activities and lists reasons to get involved. “The main motivator is usually altruistic — it allows you to help a community or cause that can benefit from your support.” The article also listed personal benefits such as improving professional skills, learning about a new culture, making new friends and having fun around the world. 

How to Get Involved

The Huffington Post article ends by giving advice on how to join a team and get involved. Organizations, like Global Volunteers, have begun to seek out college students as volunteers for efforts abroad. Global Volunteers is an international organization that sends volunteers abroad to combat global poverty. 

Saint Joseph’s College features a Student Service Trips tab on its website where students can see how to get involved. It mentions Partners in Development (PID), an organization based in Ipswich, MA that coordinates the teams going abroad. It is not just college students that get involved with PID. Anyone who can afford the cost of airfare and the trip itself can join a team. 

The service trip movement has gained traction due to its mutually beneficial relationship. Not only are the impoverished people provided with able bodies to help, but the students are provided with a lasting experience that changes their outlook on life and gives them skills that no classroom ever could. Neville said it best; “I believe one of the main goals of college is to expose yourself to varying viewpoints, cultures, opinions and experiences in order to broaden your worldview. The two service trips I was a part of provided all of those things in ample amounts.”

– Zach Farrin
Photo: Flickr

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Local and Global: UNHCR Works to Help Refugees and So Can You

help refugeesJune 20 marked the 18th anniversary of world refugee day. There are currently 68.5 million forcibly displaced people worldwide. Of those millions, 25.4 million people are classified as refugees.

World Refugee Day holds a long history of support for those in need. This day is celebrated in order to give all an opportunity to help refugees and to create a public awareness for millions of lives that are in need of saving.

Since the beginning of World Refugee Day in 2000, the refugee crisis has increased greatly. Growing from 12 million in 2000 to more than 20 million in 2018, refugees can be found seeking shelter in many countries.

The United Nations

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has taken steps to fight the refugee crisis. The UNHCR provides assistance and support to refugees all over the world. Present in 128 countries and 478 locations around the world, the UNHCR is helping those wherever they can.

For example, in Ukraine, the UNHCR is working with the Ukrainian government to help strengthen the asylum system and gives medical, material and social assistance to those refugees and internally displaced people. In Ukraine, there are currently 1,800,000 people who are internally displaced and 3,253 refugees from other countries.

Along with working with the government and giving assistance to those in need, the UNHCR in Ukraine provided 843 homes with winter cash assistance in 2018.

Another recent effort presented by the UNHCR was their assistance in Montenegro. On April 3 the UNHCR paired with the Red Cross and opened the first Community Centre for persons seeking international protection.

Education

The UNHCR doesn’t only just provide physical materials and goods; they also are committed to bringing education to refugees all over the world.

By the end of 2016, the UNHCR had encouraged 64 out of 81 countries to put policies in place to support the inclusion of refugee children in the respective countries education system. After this push, more than 984,000 refugee children were enrolled in primary education.

Of that 984,000 refugee children, 250,000 were not attending school at the time.

How to Help

While the UNHCR is continually working to better the lives of refugees all over the world, there is still plenty of work that can be done on the individual level for refugees. Here are five ways that anyone can get involved no matter where they may be.

  1. Volunteer a skill: Having a specific skill or talent can be used for good to help refugees. Whether knowing how to budget extremely well or how to create a website, there are refugees in local communities who would appreciate learning a new talent or skill to help them with their future endeavors.
  2. Spread awareness: Hold fundraisers, raffles, yard sales or meetings to spread the word about the refugee crisis. There are some that may know there is a problem, but don’t know much more than that. By putting on events and spreading the word, education about this crisis will increase awareness.
  3. Call the House Representatives and the Senate: Calling local state representatives is a quick and easy way to let one’s voice be heard. Placing a call to a member of the House or Senate will let them know that this is an issue that you care about and want to address.
  4. Support business and organizations run by refugees: Moving to a new country and facing the economic challenges of that country can be one of the hardest things for refugees. Supporting their family can be difficult for refugees in a new country. Make an effort to buy from refugees to help them get started in a new place.
  5. Donate: Donating can be one of the easiest ways to help refugees in need. Donations can be for organizations that go out into the field and provide physical goods or they can be for organizations, like The Borgen Project, that push elected officials to support and pass laws to help those in need.

While the refugee crisis continues to grow, it is important to know that anyone can take part in getting laws passed to protect refugees or can offer kindness to those who are adjusting to drastic life changes.

– Victoria Fowler
Photo: Flickr

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Better Farming: How to Support Farmers in Developing Countries

Farmers in Developing Countries
While the discussion about fair trade with foreign countries can become complicated fairly quickly, and how citizens can support local and global farmers just as much so, there are a few steps people can take that can make a difference. Here are three options that help support farmers in developing countries.

Buying Fair Trade Products

Fairtrade International is a nonprofit organization that certifies different product supply chains that focus on fair trade with international farmers. While the organization is not a grocery store in itself, it lists brands and products that have the Fair Trade certificate.

The organization has specific standards that it looks for in everyone it works with, from traders to small producers to contractors. Some universal standards include acceptable health and safety conditions, workers being able to join a union to discuss working conditions and that the wage is equal to or higher than minimum wage. 

This is a great starting point for someone who wants to become more conscious of which corporations and brands they should support. The list also provides direct links to the brands’ various websites where customers can order online. Supporting these brands and looking into the impact different corporations have is an easy way to help support farmers in developing countries.

Investing in Technology Advancements

Technological advancements can help farmers in developing countries finish their work faster and allow them to complete more work in less time. However, many new inventions need financial help to get off the ground.

One group working to support farmers in developing countries is KickStart International. The company specializes in irrigation pumps that are affordable and can filter and spray water efficiently. The company accepts donations in order to support its goal of making and sharing its inventions.

Another invention, known as the Hippo Roller, is able to collect more water and transport it much more easily than the traditional method of carrying one bucket for miles. By rolling a larger but lighter bucket, the Hippo Roller has helped more than half a million people access water faster and easier.

Like KickStart International, Hippo Roller accepts donations to help promote its invention. Financially supporting inventions that help farmers working long and grueling hours is one way to help support farmers in developing countries.

Support Farmers in Developing Countries by Volunteering

Multiple organizations exist specifically to help local and global farmers. World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) is an organization that allows volunteers to live on a farm (nearby or internationally) and be a worker for a season.

After originating as Working Weekends on Organic Farms in England in 1971, the organization grew to include 42 national groups across the world. By working closely with host families, WWOOF allows people to travel to another country for a season and lend a helping hand with farm work. This program offers a great opportunity to see firsthand where the majority of food comes from and how much work goes into producing it.

While some examples may not be available to everyone because of price or convenience, it is good to be aware of where the money being spent on food is going. Looking further into the treatment of farmers from different companies can be a simple step that goes a long way. Choosing one brand over another, lending a hand in technology advancements to ease the workload and physically going to a country to help out are all great ways to support farmers in developing countries.

– Marissa Wandzel
Photo: Flickr

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Creating Sustainability: Four Organizations Building Homes Abroad

Four Organizations Building Homes Abroad
One of the most sizable problems surrounding poverty in vulnerable countries is the lack of clean, sustainable and sturdy homes. When communities are provided with little to no housing, it can cause an abundance of other problems such as unsanitary facilities, streets and a lack of clean water. However, there are different organizations actively combating this problem by volunteering their time and effort to building homes abroad.

All Out Africa

All Out Africa is a volunteer organization that exclusively concentrates on African countries, such as Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Botswana and Zimbabwe. In Swaziland, All Out Africa’s main focus is structural building through the Build a Future Project.

This program employs the use of local goods and methods such as mud bricks to aid in building different infrastructure, homes and water systems for orphaned and vulnerable children. All Out Africa changes lives through their volunteer programs and allows those looking for opportunities to gain hands-on experience in building homes abroad.

Build Abroad

Build Abroad was founded by two architects, Pat McLoughlin and Chad Johnson. Build Abroad’s first trip was to Costa Rica, where they refurbished a women’s shelter and made easily accessible handicap ramps. As Build Abroad has branched out, it now takes volunteers to travel to Costa Rica, Haiti, Guatemala, Nepal and Peru.

In Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Peru, their main focus is on community renovation. In Haiti, Build Abroad concentrates on building affordable homes for low-income families in the Pignon community. Build Abroad’s Haiti program allows volunteers to build full, sustainable homes in just one week.

The volunteers and builders learn how to build a foundation, install windows and construct a roof, along with paint and trim. Most of these homes are built for farmers who already own land, but need extra help in building lasting homes.

Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity is one of the most well-known organizations that builds homes for those who are struggling or in difficult situations, such as homelessness and poverty. But what many don’t know is that Habitat for Humanity works in many underdeveloped countries as well.

The organization’s humanitarian work ranges from countries such as Brazil and Columbia, all the way to the Philippines, India, China, Australia and New Zealand; Habitat for Humanity is truly a global organization.

The Habitat for Humanity Thrivent Builds Worldwide program concentrates on helping women and children in building clean, structurally sound homes, anywhere from Africa to Hawaii. Most of their work building homes abroad, however, is done through their Global Village program.

In this program, volunteers can choose to build as many homes as they like, as well as advocate for policy change, energy efficient projects and populations such as children, women and the disabled. Habitat for Humanity not only concentrates on building homes abroad, but it also contributes disaster relief, shelters and community rehabilitation through the Disaster Response project. 

Projects Abroad

Projects Abroad is a volunteer program that provides scholarships, university credit and internships in major fields such as journalism, medicine and healthcare and International Development to those who wish to volunteer in building homes abroad. This group focuses on building homes in countries such as Ghana, Jamaica, the Philippines, Senegal and Tanzania.

Projects Abroad teaches its volunteers how to build bricks from mud and water for assembling quality homes and classrooms; how to fix and rebuild toilet facilities and homes for school children or those who have faced disaster; and how to create sanitation facilities for households, infrastructure and construction.

Brick By Brick

By building clean, safe and sustainable homes, these organizations aid in creating a better way of life for victims of poverty, helping areas recover from natural disasters and supporting those who feel defenseless and stuck in their situations.

Volunteer travel programs and disaster relief give hope, and volunteers building homes abroad are providing a wonderful global service.

– Rebecca Lee
Photo: Flickr

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Four Major Benefits of Volunteering in Other Countries

The Benefits of Volunteering in Other CountriesWhen discussing and researching poverty and poverty-related issues in other countries, a common aid route that comes up is volunteering. Oftentimes, though, the notion of actually traveling to another country, working with the people and also living within a totally new culture can be a very intimidating adventure.

However, the benefits of volunteering outweighs the fear and intimidation associated with travelling and living in a new culture. Benefits vary from personal growth, to help with job searches and the creation of improvement in those countries. Here are just some of the benefits of volunteering in other countries.

1. Personal Growth and Diversity

With so many different cultures around the world, simple things such as hand gestures and other ways we communicate with each other can have a vastly different meaning in another part of the world.

Being thrust head-first into a brand new culture is an excellent way to learn first-hand about different cultures and the way they communicate. While there may be some trial and error involved, learning about and experiencing these differences can lead to better development for communication skills elsewhere.

2. Cultural Exchange

While volunteers will learn a lot about the culture they are staying at, the same can be said in reverse.

Depending on the program, people from the host country may be used to volunteers from other countries coming to live with them, but sometimes that volunteer may be the first one. In both situations, the volunteer brings new information about their own country, culture and life story.

Through volunteering in other countries, there’s a benefit of not only learning about another culture, but of also teaching about and sharing personal experiences.

3. Long-Lasting Relationships

One of the many elements mentioned when talking about volunteering is the connections and relationships made while living and working in another country. This benefit of volunteering is arguably one of the biggest highlights.

While the work being done abroad is very important and will lead to tangible results, there are also other elements of foreign volunteerism that can be just as important. For example, teaching English to a classroom full of children is incredible and important in academic and professional regards, but it’s really the connections made with those kids that will stick years later. Making meaningful connections will also help kids better remember and learn, as well.

4. Make a Difference

From building homes to teaching children, volunteering allows the individual to actually create a difference and leave a mark on this world for the better.

Volunteers are able to work side-by-side with people from another culture in order to create something to better their lives. Lending a hand in building homes for people who need them, helping educate children so the other teachers have more time and helping doctors with all of their patients are just a few of many ways volunteers can greatly aid another culture.

These are only some of the benefits of volunteering in other countries. While volunteering and moving to another country can be a scary and intimidating option, it’s a wonderful and unique experience that not only hones personal skills but applies them to people in need. The major benefits of volunteering in other countries is the experience’s ability to foster teamwork, create personal connections and inspire memorable moments.

– Marissa Wandzel

Photo: Google

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Ways to Get Involved: Eight Impactful Types of Advocacy Work

types of advocacy work
Advocacy can be done and acknowledged in many different forms. In simple terms, advocacy is the public support for particular causes and policies. The following list delineates eight types of advocacy work to help people worldwide, and some you can help with right from the comfort of your home. To support these programs and groups to continue their advocacy work, you can share their websites on social media, as well as donate and volunteer to their cause.

Eight Types of Advocacy Work

  1. Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI)
    Founded by Ben Affleck in 2010 the ECI works within the bounds of advocacy and public and private partnerships to help the people of the Eastern Congo. Its goals are to raise public awareness, promote policy change through the U.S. government, and help communities locally. Some of the types of advocacy work that ECI does daily are helping improve maternal and newborn health care, aiding the DRC security sector and creating more economic opportunities in the Eastern Congo.
  2. International Child Resource Institute (ICRI)
    ICRI is working to help improve the lives of children and families globally through education, empowerment, health care, children’s rights and community development. ECRI offers travel goals anyone can take so you can travel with a purpose. You can go to places such as The Great Wall of China, the Kakadu National Park in Australia and Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and help fundraise for IRCI along the way; everything raised through the trips goes directly to the organization’s programs.
  3. ONE
    ONE is an advocacy group that fights and alleviates extreme poverty and preventable disease through public awareness. Due to ONE’s specific type of advocacy work, the group has been able to help over 110 million people; ONE takes on issues in disease, agriculture, energy, maternal and child health, water and education.
  4. Aids Healthcare Foundation (AHF)
    AHF a nonprofit organization that helps people in over 39 countries fight against HIV/AIDS. Some of the types of advocacy work that AHF does include testing one billion people every year for HIV/AIDS, finding new cutting-edge medicine and discovering new ways to educate, treat and prevent further spread of the disease.
  5. Global Citizen
    Global Citizen is a movement that started in 2012 that aims to help fix the world’s most significant every-day challenges. Due to their types of advocacy work, Global Citizen has gotten over $30 billion in financial aid to help over one billion people worldwide; in addition, the organization gained 130 commitments and policy announcements from world leaders. Their ultimate goal is to end extreme poverty by 2030.
  6. Survival International
    Survival International works towards the global movement for tribal people’s rights. The goal is to help defend tribal people’s lives, protect their lands and allow them the autonomy to determine the course of their own futures.
  7. UNICEF: For every child
    UNICEF works in over 190 countries to help save children’s lives and defend their rights. The types of advocacy work UNICEF focuses on are education, child survival, child protection, equality for women and girls and innovation.
  8. Intern for The Borgen Project
    The Borgen Project offers five different types of internships which can be done right from home. The internships available are Public Relations/Marketing, HR, Writing, Journalism and Political Affairs. All of these internships can further help show the types of advocacy work both The Borgen Project and one intern can do.

With just these eight options, everyone has the opportunity to get and stay involved. Increased awareness and action can change the world, it’s just a matter of picking the cause you want to fight for.

– Amber Duffus

Photo: Flickr

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How to Help People in Africa

How to Help People in Africa
There are many ways to help people in Africa. With many of its countries referred to as underdeveloped nations, it is easy to understand why. This is the reason why so many people who want to help turn their attention to the disenfranchised of Africa. For those interested in how to help people in Africa, this article will try to provide a place to start.

 

Water
One problem that affects the people of Africa is the most vital resource of all life—water. Developing nations experience the issue of unclean water most severely, with as much as 80 percent of illnesses being traced back to poor water and sanitation quality. In sub-Saharan Africa, 319 million people are without access to improved reliable drinking water.

An organization that looks to curb this imminent problem is The Water Project, an organization dedicated to providing safe, clean water to all people worldwide. They accomplish this by working with local teams in the affected region and, through this cooperation, create and implement clean water programs.

A person looking for how to help people in Africa can find a great method through this organization. One of the most helpful and readily available ways to help this group is by donating to help The Water Project carry out its projects.

Another way to help The Water Project is by creating a fundraising page. There have been over 3,000 fundraising pages created that have raised more than $3 million. There are even more ways to lend a helping hand, including starting a campaign, taking “the water challenge” and becoming a member.

 

Food and Nutrition
Another problem that many impoverished people in Africa face is lack of proper nutrition, or lack of food altogether. This is especially the case in the Horn of Africa (the peninsula in the east, including Somalia and Ethiopia), where 11 million people are in urgent need of food assistance.

Anyone looking for how to help people in Africa can do so by assisting the World Food Programme (WFP), an organization dedicated to helping the world’s hungry through grassroots methods that has helped over 80 million people in 80 different countries since its inception.

To help, the WFP has listed ten different ways for the average citizen to lend assistance to those in need. These methods include donating both by computer and by text message, spreading the word through sending online quizzes and informational videos, using social media and much more, all of which are simple and easy to do from home.

 

Volunteering Abroad
Volunteering is a great way to get involved in a more grassroots fashion. For those wondering how to help people in Africa in a way that is a bit more involved, volunteering abroad provides an excellent opportunity.

By visiting the Projects Abroad website, one can find a wealth of information about how to volunteer on the ground in Africa. Margot Le Neveu, who worked in Ghana, gives a taste of what it is like to volunteer with orphans in Africa. She says, “Working at the orphanage was my favorite part of my trip to Ghana. The wood market and bead market were nice to visit, however I really loved playing with all the children at the orphanage.”

Projects Abroad offers several different ways to volunteer, including with day care centers and kindergartens, special needs children and at orphanages themselves. This service provides much-needed growth, stability and social interaction to children that would otherwise do without. Volunteers working through the Projects Abroad programs say they feel that they are “really making a difference”.

All of these organizations offer a variety of ways to help people in Africa. No matter which option you choose, you can know that your assistance is making a vital difference in the lives of impoverished people.

– Stephen Praytor

Photo: Flickr

 

Donate to fight global poverty today

 

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How to Help People in Kuwait

Help People in KuwaitKuwait is not a country that often comes to mind when considering foreign aid. The oil-rich nation may seem self-sufficient; however, Kuwaitis face hurdles in their daily lives and are in need of assistance. Colossal prices for everyday goods, human rights violations and water conditions are just a few of the problems people encounter in Kuwait on a daily basis.

Although the nation is renowned for its high salaries, the correlating high cost of living is often left out. Basic necessities such as rent, food and health care have had drastic price increases. The Kuwaiti Times reports that “90 percent of the population is not as rich as the prime minister says.” The reporter continues to insinuate that the incumbent administration is oblivious to the reality of life in Kuwait.

To help people in Kuwait, combating human rights violations is essential. The Kafala system binds migrant workers to their employers, functioning as a modern day system of slavery. Workers are often vulnerable to forced labor in subpar conditions and abuse. Employers often threaten to deport migrant workers if they do not comply with their demands.

Between January and April of 2016, 14,400 workers faced deportation. Misdemeanors such as traffic violations or talking back can result in harsh punishments from their employers. The European Union has launched a project called PAVE to assist and shield these workers from exploitation. Donating to or volunteering for this organization are both ways to help people in Kuwait.

Although Kuwait is a food secure nation, it stands at ninth place for high water risk by 2040. Unparalleled evaporation rates deplete the soil of its moisture, resulting in a nominal percentage of water flowing into the aquifers. Without any natural rivers or lakes, this proves to be deleterious to the Kuwaiti population.

Contributions to the construction of water treatment plants or waste water systems are both ways to assist the country in their water deficit.

Once we puncture the façade of images of the wealthy Kuwaiti population, we realize that Kuwait cannot be overlooked when deliberating foreign aid.

– Tanvi Wattal

Photo: Flickr

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Volunteering and its Effects on Empathy

Volunteering
A common reason for conflict, whether cultural, racial or economic is lack of empathy. The solution to this problem may be simpler than previously believed. An article on psychology website Spring suggests that empathy can increase with as little as two positive experiences with a group.

To collect their research, scientists paired Swiss people with people of Balkan descent. The Swiss-Balkan relationship has historically been tense due to anxiety about immigrants in Switzerland. In the experiment, Swiss participants expected to receive a painful electric shock but were rescued by people with traditional Balkan names.

The Swiss participants then received brain scans while observing other people being shocked. If earlier in the experiment a Balkan person had helped the Swiss person in question, the Swiss participant’s brain would demonstrate a similar empathetic response toward both Balkan and Swiss victims. If, however, the Swiss person had not had that positive encounter with a Balkan participant, he or she exhibited lower levels of empathy toward Balkan victims than towards Swiss victims.

According to this study’s researchers, “Our findings show that empathy with an out-group member can be learned and generalizes to other out-group individuals.”

How can these findings be applied globally? Simply put, they may indicate that volunteering can increase empathy. Not only can volunteering help reduce some of the immediate symptoms of global poverty; it can also decrease inter-group tension.

Bridging the gap preventing different groups from interacting with each other is an important step in reducing conflict. Volunteerism does just that by putting human relationships first. It places members of different communities that may never have had positive inter-community encounters in close proximity to each other. Positive volunteering experiences can lead to increased empathy and decreased conflict between them.

In an article by the New Zealand Red Cross, Warwick Armstrong, a volunteer driver for the Cross Town Shuttle wrote about the benefits of volunteering. The Cross Town Shuttle provides transportation for people in Christchurch who have no transportation means of their own. Armstrong said he enjoys the companionship his position provides.

“It’s good for your health!” he wrote. “It gives your empathy batteries a recharge”.

Volunteerism puts human relationships first and encourages personal interaction. It is a powerful tool for increasing empathy, and thus reducing tension, between groups.

– Jordan Little

Photo: Flickr