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15 Organizations That Help Improve the World

15 organizations that help the world

With the myriad difficulties that face the world, it is essential to have organizations making the planet a better place. Without such generous assistance, the world would be plagued with unmanageable adversities. The following is a list of 15 organizations that help improve the world with their innovative ideas and generous efforts.

  1. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
    The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is an organization that works to fight hunger and its consequential effects on a global scale. It works specifically to eradicate infectious diseases and child mortality rates in struggling countries.
  1. Doctors Without Borders
    Doctors Without Borders delivers emergency aid to people in need. These efforts include helping people in situations of natural disasters, epidemics and lack of health care.
  1. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
    The FAO’s prime purpose is to defeat hunger. It works in 130 countries worldwide to help ensure people have access to food and are not going hungry. The organization has been fighting hunger since 1945.
  1. Human Rights Watch
    Human Rights Watch was established in 1978 and is an organization that reports on human rights conditions in countries all over the world. With its findings, it meets with governments and financial corporations to urge for policy changes that assist the betterment of human rights around the world.
  1. Oxfam
    Oxfam is a global organization that helps improve the world through poverty-reduction efforts. It focuses on the conditions that cause poverty and works to fix the effects of such difficulties. Its efforts include disaster response, programs to help people afflicted by poverty and education improvement.
  1. Red Cross
    Founded in 1881, the Red Cross foundation works to help people in urgent need. Assisted greatly by volunteers, the Red Cross mainly provides disaster relief, support to America’s military families, health and safety services, blood donations and international services.
  1. Save the Children
    Save the Children is a nonprofit organization that focuses primarily on helping children in need. This includes emergency response, global health initiatives, HIV and Aids prevention, disaster response and creating educational opportunities. In 2016, Save the Children reached and assisted 157 million children.
  1. The Borgen Project
    The Borgen Project is a nonprofit organization that aims to end poverty by working to make poverty a focus of U.S. foreign policy. The organization is an influential ally for the world’s poor that educates and mobilizes people to communicate with their Congressional leaders to ensure funding for poverty-fighting efforts are not eliminated. In 2017, the organization had volunteers in 754 U.S. cities and is one of the 15 organizations that help improve the world immensely.
  1. The World Bank
    The World Bank works with other organizations to provide extensive financial assistance to developing countries. It was established in 1944 and has more than 10,000 employees and 120 offices worldwide.
  1. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
    The UNDP is an organization that aims to eradicate poverty. It implements this goal by developing policies, skills and partnerships to enable people to sustain their progress and improvement. The UNDP is in over 170 countries and territories.
  1. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
    UNICEF is an organization that fights for children’s rights to shelter, nutrition, protection and equality. It does so by being children’s advocates and providing humanitarian assistance to children and their families, most often in developing countries.
  1. United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
    USAID is an international agency that provides development assistance to countries in need. It works to advance U.S. national security and “economic prosperity” by promoting self-sufficiency. It uses humanitarian response efforts to bring disaster relief and supplies to those who are struggling.
  1. World Food Programme (WFP)
    WFP’s mission is to fight world hunger and provide people around the world the quality food they need to survive. It does this by working with U.S. policymakers and other foundations to organize financial resources, as well as develop necessary policies to assist the fight against worldwide hunger.
  1. World Health Organization (WHO)
    Of the 15 organizations that help improve the world, WHO is among the largest. The WHO is an organization that works directly with governments and various partners to ensure a healthier future for people all around the world. It fights infectious diseases and works directly with mothers and children to improve and maintain their health.
  1. World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
    The WWF is an international nongovernmental organization working to conserve nature and reduce extreme threats. It also aims to increase awareness to prevent further damage to the earth and its inhabitants.

These are only 15 organizations that help improve the world. There are many more that work together with partners to help make the world a better and safer place to live. Their generosity helps people on a daily basis live healthier and happier lives, and it is troublesome to think of where the world would be without such assistance.

– McCall Robison

Photo: Flickr

How to End Global Poverty Today

end_global_povertyCreating a community of advocates is essential to ending global poverty.

According to USAID, approximately 1.2 billion people around the world currently live in poverty. However, from 1990 to 2010, global poverty has been cut in half and continues to decline today. The ultimate goal in this fight against global poverty is to eradicate it until it is no longer part of the world.

Although ending global poverty is not an easy feat, it is possible. Providing impoverished countries with the necessary tools to create a self-reliant community is an essential step. Tools such as education, healthcare and water are important influences on poverty.

Building clinics, water sources such as wells and schools for education can reduce the economic instability that exists in impoverished countries. Workshops on effective farming methods and fundamental knowledge can influence the day to day lives of the poor. By providing these tools, people can begin to translate what they have learned into their livelihood, which will in turn break the cycle of poverty and create a community with economic security.

Answering the question of how to end global poverty then becomes a matter of how to obtain and provide these necessary tools. The answer: creating a community of advocates.

When people are aware, committed and active regarding an issue such a global poverty, change occurs.

One of the ways the public can contribute is by raising awareness in the local community. The more people who are aware of the cause, the higher the chance of impact.

People can use their power of speech and right to vote to make the efforts to end global poverty known. Calling or emailing senators and local representatives in support of poverty-reducing bills can influence the amount of help given to fight global poverty.

Donating money and volunteering time to organizations that aid in the fight is another way to effect change. The Hunger Project and The World Food Programme are examples of organizations that use unique and effective methods to act against poverty. Coming up with new and creative platforms that engages the community is also another method.

It’s not about how large the act, but about the amount of people who act alongside the cause. It can be a phone call in support of a bill or an open mic night performance to raise awareness. It can be as simple as investing or donating money to the cause or volunteering time with an organization. It can be using power of speech to raise awareness or using the freedom to vote in support of a bill.

It can be a large or small contribution, but it’s a contribution nonetheless. The goal of ending global poverty becomes reality when the community as a whole comes together to fight. It can make an impact, and it can move the cause forward until poverty is completely eradicated.

In the words of JFK, “One person can make a difference and every person should try.”

– Nada Sewidan

Sources: USAID,  The Borgen Project
Photo: Productive Flourishing

Borgen Project Reviews

borgen project reviews
Thousands of people have volunteered or interned at The Borgen Project. Below are Borgen Project reviews and quotes from those who’ve volunteered or interned at the organization. If you’d like to get better insight into what it’s like volunteering or interning and would like to talk with someone in your area who volunteers at The Borgen Project, please contact [email protected]

 

“Cutting edge, hip, non-partisan and a cause that is noble.”- Bill Childers, Charleston, SC

“The Borgen Project has the power to help the most people.” – A. L. Loy Fort Collins, CO

“The Borgen Project has a very clear mission and has a very realistic, solid plan for achieving its goals. It is well organized, well respected.” – Jessica Muller-Pearson, New Orleans, LA

“I have volunteered for organizations and food kitchens that help a handful of people or a specific family. This is great, however, I wanted to have a bigger impact and affect more people. That is what drew me to The Borgen Project: by influencing political leaders, we can help millions more people than would of been possible at the organizations I have previously worked with.” – Amelia Merritt, Mercer Island, WA

“The Borgen Project is the voice for the world’s voiceless.” Adrienne Ostrove, Albany, NY

“Most organizations focus on raising money to bring clean water and improve sanitation/living conditions, which is amazing, but The Borgen Project focuses on policy – which is where real changes can be made.” – Kayla Ring, Poway, CA

“I was interested in the advocacy aspect of The Borgen Project. Many non-profits seem to circumvent the political process when dealing with international aid and development, and I was impressed and intrigued with how The Borgen Project works through the political channels by lobbying Congressional leaders and staff, as well as engaging and mobilizing the greater population to do more to end global poverty.” – Cailyn Torpie, Seattle, WA

“For me, The Borgen Project is the gateway to the end of global poverty.” – Patricia Ashe, Birmingham, AL

“The Borgen Project is people who care about ending global poverty bringing it to the attention of the people in power.” – Sonya Servine, Seattle, WA

 

 

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Debunking Misconceptions about Foreign Aid

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As an advocacy group, The Borgen Project works to raise awareness about the importance of foreign assistance. Foreign aid not only improves the quality of life for millions of people, but it also brings jobs to the United States and strengthens national security. Yet, in spite of the benefits that foreign aid provides, many U.S. citizens are not in favor of it.

A Kaiser Family Foundation survey in 2013 reported that nearly half of the U.S. general public was in favor of major cuts to the foreign aid budget to help reduce deficits, and 65 percent believed that economic problems at home make such spending too costly. Cutting foreign assistance will not have a large impact on U.S. debt, as it consistently makes up 1 percent of the federal budget or less.

Why are so many people in favor of reducing foreign aid when doing so will not reduce deficits? One problem may be that they do not know the actual amount being spent on foreign aid. The Kaiser family poll found that U.S. citizens on average believe that 28 percent of the budget goes to international development, with 12 percent of respondents stating that half of U.S. spending is foreign aid. Similarly, 61 percent of those asked believed the current amount spent on foreign aid should be lower.

However, the public does not seem to support more foreign assistance spending even with accurate information. When the Kaiser Family poll informed respondents that about 1 percent of the budget went to fighting poverty abroad, only 28 percent believed this was too little, while 30 percent still believed this was too much and 31 percent said that the current budget was the right size.

A much larger problem may be that most U.S. citizens do not think that international development programs have strong impact. According to the Kaiser Family poll, only one quarter of respondents thought that U.S. programs to improve global health had a strong effect, while two-thirds believed the effect was “only fair” or “poor.”

Again, the idea that foreign aid has no effect is simply not true. In the 2014 Annual Letter, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation explain how much international development programs help the poor. Since 1960, over 1 billion people have escaped extreme poverty. Global health programs have done incredible work to stop disease; over 2.5 billion children have been immunized against polio since 1988, and in 2013 fewer than 400 cases were reported worldwide. Given current trends, extreme poverty (living on $1 per day) will end by 2035, and child mortality will drop to U.S. levels by that time as well.

Not only do people not know how much is spent on foreign aid, but they also do not know how great its benefits are. To gain support for a stronger international development budget, advocates must work to debunk both myths and educate others about the worthiness of foreign assistance.

– Ted Rappleye

Sources: kff.org, annualletter.gatesfoundation.org www-tc.pbs.org

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Seattle Foundations

Seattle_foundations
The city of Seattle is the headquarters of many great philanthropic organizations and nonprofits. With Seattle foundations like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to our very own The Borgen Project, the city offers countless ways to get involved in the community or make an impact on a state, national or global level.

To help you in your quest to become an active citizen of the world around you, here are some Seattle foundations and non-governmental organizations to consider:

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Led by Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda, the Foundation’s mission is to help people live healthy, productive lives and uplift those in battling extreme poverty and hunger. With an endowment of $40.2 billion, the Foundation is in the best position to provide dozens of grants to for initiatives such as childhood immunization, polio eradication and agricultural technologies.

Alliance for Education

Alliance for Education works to provide all children in the Seattle area with the tools they need to be successful in college while building a good career and happy life. The organization has a three-pronged attack focusing on fundraising, advocacy and community engagement. Raising $131 million since 1995, Alliance for Education invests in effective public school system-wide leadership, teacher effectiveness and academic rigor.

PATH

PATH has its headquarters in Seattle. However, it has offices in over 40 cities in 22 countries. Its goal is to ensure every person leads a healthy life by advancing technologies, improving health systems and promoting healthy behaviors. PATH takes on challenges in areas like maternal and child health, reproductive health, vaccines and immunization and emerging and epidemic diseases. PATH engages communities by speaking their language, going to where they live to spread information to promote healthy living.

Agros International

Agros targets areas dealing with significant poverty to provide them with the facilities they need to build a hard-working fulfilled life. Argos purchases land to support up to 200 families, dividing the land between them so they can build homes, establish a garden and cultivate cash groups. They establish a community with a democratically elected governing structure and provide them with financial tools to build and sustain their businesses. To promote proper nutrition, hygiene, basic healthcare and female empowerment, Argos provides educational programs to all families in the community.

These Seattle foundations offer many career and volunteer opportunities for those seeking to get involved in the non-profit sector. Alternatively, if you are just seeking to donate, you can be sure that your money will go to a great organization that helps people around the globe climb out the depths of poverty and poor health. To serve, visit their respective websites.

– Sunny Bhatt

Sources: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Alliance for Education, PATH, Agros International
Photo: Cospick

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Summer Internships in Seattle

summer internships
As the winter season starts to wind down, students from across the country are beginning their search of summer internships. Summer internships are a great way to gain new experiences, travel to places you’ve always wanted to visit, and meet new people—all while gaining valuable skills that will give you the edge in securing employment in the future.

Landing a summer internship can seem like a daunting task. What am I interested in? How do I apply? If you have arrived at these questions, you are already on the right path! Most companies offer students the chance to play a role in their daily functions and learn about their work environment. For those interested in global poverty reduction, human rights activism, and other service based careers, here are potential summer internship opportunities for you

Political Affairs Internship, The Borgen Project

  • Meet with members of Congress and/or Congressional staffers in your State and District to discuss global poverty issues
  • Represent The Borgen Project and various business, political, and community events
  • Mobilize individuals to contact their members of Congress in support of anti-poverty legislation and assist with fundraising
  • For more information on how to apply please visit Telecommute Internships.

Summer Internship Program, American Red Cross

  • Get introduced to the mission of the American Red Cross with real-world work experience in a non-profit
  • Assist with day-to-day functions building reports, presentations, guides etc.
  • Choose from a diverse selection of positions including human resources, government relations, humanitarian services, public health & safety, biomedical services, disaster services, finance, marketing and more!
  • For more information on how to apply, visit Red Cross.

Community Engagement Intern Program, Feeding Children Everywhere

  • Get hands on experience battling on the front lines of the fight against hunger. Recruit volunteers nationwide for various “Hunger Projects”
  • Build and lead programs while performing community outreach
  • Travel to different “Hunger Projects” and network with various volunteers while preparing and packaging meals to feed hungry children
  • Please visit their Intern Program for more information and locations.

Intern, ONE Campaign

  • ONE offers students a diverse experience working in grassroots mobilization, field organizing, digital projects, communications, ans global operations
  • Interns will have to perform research and fact-checking, trips and events preparation, collection of press clips, database management, and administrative tasks
  • For more information please visit ONE.org.

Student Internship Program, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

  • USAID offers a variety of summer internship positions in the Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs, the Office of the General Counsel, the Office of Transition Initiatives, the Bureau of Africa and more.
  • Interns will be required to conduct research, draft program memoranda and other documents
  • Facilitate meetings and special events, attend program discussions in various government agencies and communicate with stakeholders and public
  • Work in fields like agriculture, education, health, environment, democracy, conflict prevention, and humanitarian assistance

These summer internships offer students from diverse backgrounds with various interests a chance to develop new skills and gain valuable experience working to alleviate social problems of today.

View telecommuting internships at The Borgen Project.

– Sunny Bhatt

Sources: The Borgen Project, Red Cross, Feeding Children Everywhere, Idealist.org
Photo: Wdet

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History of the Nobel Peace Prize

Nobel peace price borgen project
The Nobel Peace Prize is the most distinguished prize in the world. Every year, one individual “who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses” is awarded the prize. The prize is the stuff of myth in terms of both prestige and mystery: how and why was it ever conceived? Why is the Peace Prize so legendary and illustrious?

In 1895, Swedish industrial magnate Alfred Bernhard Nobel hand-drafted the first conceptions of the prestigious Nobel Prizes in his will. Nobel left his vast wealth for the awarding of five annual prizes to five individuals in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Physiology/Medicine, Literature, and, most prestigious of all, Peace.

The man behind the prize is a character steeped in paradox and enigma. Son of salt-of-the-earth inventor and builder Immanuel Nobel, Alfred Nobel’s childhood was filled with frequent moving and change from Stockholm to St. Petersburg, and from modest means to bourgeois status. Growing up, Nobel was a quiet intellectual who preferred the solitude of philosophy books and writing; his weak health surely contributed to his broody temperaments.

Alfred Nobel, along with his brothers, was tutored to become fluent in five languages, and taught fundamental mathematics, physics, and chemistry while in St. Petersburg. He eventually received training to become a chemist and engineer, leading to his invention of dynamite as well as other explosives used in modern warfare. Ironic, for the man who would become posthumously famous for the most famous prize in world peace, explosives was Nobel’s industry and base for wealth.

It is suggested by historians that his belated adjustments to his will to include the Prizes were inspired by a poignant but nevertheless strange occurrence. When his brother died in Cannes, France in 1888, the French papers mistook his brother for the Alfred Nobel. The headlines read: “Le marchand de la mort est mort” (“The Merchant of Death is dead”). His brother’s obituary was eerily a dress rehearsal for his own—one that he did not want for himself for when his time finally came. Historians conclude that Nobel, who was also a philosopher and pacifist, belatedly added the prizes to his will to ameliorate his fears of posthumous disrepute.

The curious case of Alfred Nobel aside, the prestige of the Nobel Peace Prize is an undeniable medium of both change and historic record. Reading the accomplishments of the award through its 110 years is to turn through the pages of Modern history.

For example, there were no prizes for award peace during the tumultuous First World War that ended with no victors—only a whimper. The only prize awarded during the war years was to the Red Cross. The same occurred during WWII.

In the 1990s, “Pluralist Globalization” seemed to be the theme of the prizes. In 1990 for example, Mikhail Gorbachev was controversially awarded the Peace Prize because The Norwegian Nobel Committee had seen that he had done the most to end the Cold War. In 1993 Nelson Mandela and Frederick Willem de Klerk were award the Peace Prize for their work towards ending the violence and oppression of Apartied in South Africa.

But above all controversy and politics, the prize paints an enduring narrative of the human desire for salvation from suffering and war.

– Malika Gumpangkum

Sources: Britannica, Nobel Prize, Sweden
Photo: ABC

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Making a Difference: One Way or Another

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Making a difference in the world can seem like a momentous task. Many people feel like their contributions will be insignificant; how can the actions of one person impact such an immense amount of people? However, making a difference may not be as hard as it may seem. Impacting the lives of others can happen in a variety of ways. By dedicating oneself to the cause of helping others, one can be ensured that they are performing acts for the greater good. There are many ways to get involved, so why not start today?

Poverty is dwindling in many areas throughout the world, but there is still a substantial amount of work that needs to be done. Many people would love the opportunity to help, but see no way to get started. This may seem daunting at first, but there are ten easy ways to get started.

Let’s start with the political aspect. First, simply calling or getting in contact with Congress with letters or emails is a great way to start. Congressional leaders have been known to support poverty-reduction legislation when as few as 7-10 people declare their interest in the issue. Second, meeting with congressional workers is surprisingly easy to set up. Our democracy was built upon these standards, so incorporating them only makes sense!

Politics, however, is not for everyone. Spending money or wearing merchandise whose proceeds go to a greater cause can be easier for some people and doing this is just as easy. For example, one can simply buy from the Borgen Project! All proceeds from the online store go towards improving living conditions of others. Besides buying straight from the Borgen Project, there are other alternatives. eBay allows its users to set aside a share of sales and profit as a donation to the Borgen Project, so purchasing items off the site also can help the cause.

Fifth, social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter are an excellent way to get information about world poverty seen in the public. Social media also gives citizens a unique opportunity to interact with famous people. Sixth, by posting on politicians’ and celebrity pages, people can get their message seen on these people’s profiles. Why not use every means possible to get news of the cause heard by all, regardless of fame and fortune?

Getting the news out and garnering support to diminish international poverty can certainly be difficult. However, informing others about the cause and giving people options as to what they can do to help is an effective method. Donating time and money to a program such as The Borgen Project is a way to impact worldwide poverty. People rarely give without asking, so writing out letters asking for donations often strikes a chord. People generally feel more inclined to help when they know the facts, and when they are asked. Fundraising online is another great way to obtain support. Ninth, donating to the Borgen Project or programs such as Kershaw’s Challenge, is also very beneficial. Lastly, performing an act (such as running a marathon) and obtaining charitable support for these acts is another way to get involved.

Getting involved can be so simple even though it can appear to be complicated. However, this is hardly the case – often, just getting started can be the most difficult part. Hopefully these ten ways to get started will get some action going anywhere, from the running trail or from online shopping on the couch!

– Zachary Wright

Sources: The Borgen Project, Kershaws Challenge
Photo: Cafe Press

Break a Bad Habit for a Good Cause

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

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

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

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

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

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

– Kira Maixner

Source: PsyBlog
Photo: Precision Nutrition