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5 Anti-Poverty Organizations with Opportunities for Students

Anti-Poverty _Organizations
Some say college is the best four years of your life; these anti-poverty organizations are helping to make them some of the most meaningful as well. While some groups only offer internships at their headquarters, here are some anti-poverty organizations with either on-campus opportunities, remote or summer training or volunteer opportunities. These opportunities offer advocacy and leadership experience for college students hoping to raise awareness of global poverty on their own campus.

1. ONE

According to its website, “ONE is an international campaigning and advocacy organization of nearly 7 million taking action to end extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa.” There are campus clubs for ONE on campuses across the country. Online, ONE offers resources, ideas and challenges for their student-run campus clubs. For more information, visit its website.

2. Oxfam

Oxfam’s mission is “to create lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and social injustice.” For college students, Oxfam offers the opportunity to create and sustain an Oxfam club on campus, as well as a training program one must be selected to attend. Oxfam currently has clubs on more than 100 college campuses. To start a club on campus, you can download a “toolkit” from the website and register your university’s club with the organization. Oxfam’s leadership training program, CHANGE, trains 50 students each summer on nonprofit organizations, advocacy and more.

3. RESULTS

RESULTS is a grassroots advocacy group. It is written on its website that “with every hour of their time, volunteers multiply their impact through the enormous power of advocacy—whether it’s helping change policty to support millions of families putting food on the table or helping raise billions of dollars for the world’s most vulnerable children.” RESULTS offers a variety of ways for individuals across the country to get involved. You can listen in on a call where the staff discusses the work of the organization, tips for your own advocacy and how to get involved. Online you can learn about the different RESULTS groups in your area and connect with other people interested in ending poverty. These groups allow people to make an impact in their area by joining together, reaching out to state legislators and planning advocacy events. For more information about how you can get involved visit its website.

4. The Hunger Project

The mission of The Hunger Project is “to end hunger and poverty by pioneering sustainable, grassroots, women-centered strategies and advocating for their widespread adoption throughout the world.” Individuals interested can volunteer bi-annually in The Hunger Project’s global office in New York. Online, volunteer opportunities are posted as available, and those interested in being volunteer activists must follow the steps listed in the “get involved tab” under the “volunteer” section of The Hunger Project’s website.

5. The Borgen Project

The Borgen Project aims to raise awareness of global poverty and the issues that it creates. Through advocacy and campaigning, The Borgen Project forces the nation’s leaders to take notice of this global issue and encourages action to address it in U.S. foreign policy. The Borgen Project not only has volunteer and internship positions in Seattle and remotely, but also provides advocacy tips on its website.

– Rachelle Kredentser

Sources: ONE, ,Oxfam, RESULTS, The Hunger Project, The Borgen Project

The Big Lip Sync Unites People to Fight Poverty

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Oxfam’s newest project, focusing on the world leader’s goals to tackle extreme poverty and to spread the world with awareness, unites people across the U.K. by encouraging them to create a lip sync video, which will call for the goals to be met.

The “Big Lip Sync” was launched at the Glastonbury Festival, a music festival in Somerset, England, and it is asking festivalgoers to take part in action to support the goals to eradicate extreme poverty.

During the summer, Oxfam will be inviting people and festivalgoers to paint their lips with the color green, a metaphor that refers to the idea that everyone has poverty issues and global goals in their mouth and on their mind. Participants can then share their picture with the hash tag #biglipsync on their social media websites and profiles or upload a lip singing video to their social media.

These pictures and videos will be used as a way to prove that poverty is on everyone’s lips and that it is an important issue to the larger community. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram users can share their green-painted-lip pictures to raise awareness and spread the word about the campaign in social media. Festivalgoers take many of these pictures while attending music festivals.

In the U.K., Oxfam is also spreading the word about “The Big Lip Sync” by being present in music festivals with a booth that promotes the cause. In these stands, Oxfam counts the banners, picture frames and slogans that festivalgoers use to show their support for the cause.

Famous U.K. journalists, fashion stylists, presenters and producers have also joined the movement. Gemma Cairney, Cherry Healey and DJ Goldierocks are some of the stars that participated in the promotional video for “The Big Lip Sync” project. The video shows them, with green lips, dancing and lip singing to a song in order to promote that they “stand against poverty” and to invite people to be part of “The Big Lip Sync.”

As an extra, Oxfam is offering the chance for a “The Big Lip Sync” participant to win tow tickets to go check out Bestival, a four-day music festival held in Isle of Wight, England. U.K. residents can enter this contest by texting the word LIPS to 700066.

Oxfam has shown a way to create awareness in a colorful, social and fun way. “The Big Lip Sync” represents a way for people and festivalgoers to spread the word and raise awareness about the importance of meeting global goals aimed at ending extreme poverty.

– Diana Fernanda Leon

Sources: Oxfam, Glastonbury Festival, YouTube
Photo: Oxfam

Canadian Energy Transparency Law Sets Example for US Policymakers

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Earlier this month, the Canadian government passed the Extractive Sector Transparency Measures Act (ESTMA), an energy transparency law that aims to shed more light on the financial activity of energy companies in foreign countries. The law applies to nearly 2,000 energy companies that are registered in Canada or listed on Toronto’s stock exchange and will require them to publish detailed records of payments made to foreign governments.

The ESTMA came just before the G7 Summit on June 7, and is the product of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s commitment at the 2013 G8 Summit to establish stricter standards for the reporting of financial activity by Canadian extractive companies.

The stated purpose of the law is “to foster better transparency to ensure that the resource extractive industries support proper development in the countries where they operate, while at the same time making it harder to conceal illicit payments.” According to Canadian Securities Law, the Act will require affected companies to report any payments made in relation to the commercial development of oil, gas or minerals that exceed either the amount prescribed by regulation or $100,000 on a number of types of payments, including royalties, production entitlements, dividends and infrastructure improvement funding.

While a similar U.S. transparency law has existed since a 2010 amendment to the Dodd-Frank Act, no rules have been officially implemented for extractive industry activity abroad. The Securities and Exchange Commission threw out regulations written in 2013 after a lawsuit from the American Petroleum Institute – the oil industry’s principal U.S. lobbying organization – claimed the regulations were too punitive for its member companies. In the fall of 2014, Oxfam International filed its own lawsuit against the SEC for failure to implement previously mandated regulations and expects a decision “any day now” on whether or not a federal court will set a timeline for the SEC.

As of now, the majority of the world’s largest oil companies, including Exxon Mobil and Chevron, are nor required to report payments made to foreign governments.

For civilians in oil-rich countries, the detriments for allowing foreign energy corporations to extract their resources often outweigh the benefits they realize for hosting them.

“In many countries that are rich in oil, gas and other non-renewable natural resources, the communities from whose territory the resources are extracted bear the brunt of environmental and human rights impacts associated with extractive activity but see few tangible benefits,” said EarthRights International (ERI) in a statement in 2014. “We, along with our partners in Burma and elsewhere, believe that knowing what governments receive from extractive companies is an important step for communities to hold governments responsible for the use of natural resource revenues and to advocate for a fair share of the benefits.”

Since 2009 ERI has worked with Oxfam and other members of the Publish What You Pay Us (PWYP) coalition to fight for revenue transparency in the extractive industry. The stated mission of the PWYP is to “[help] citizens of resource-rich developing countries hold their governments accountable for the management of revenues from the oil, gas and mining industries.”

“Natural resource revenues are an important source of income for governments of over 50 developing countries,” states the PWYP coalition. “When properly managed these revenues should serve as a basis for poverty reduction, economic growth and development rather than exacerbating corruption, conflict and social divisiveness.”

Proponents of stricter oversight of extractive industries note that a lack of financial transparency raises doubts as to how much civilians in host countries benefit from the extraction of their resources by foreign energy companies. Detailed records published by energy companies will reveal more precisely who is benefiting from extractive industry spending and whether – and to what degree – recipient governments use that spending to benefit their own people.

– Zach VeShancey

Sources: Canadian Securities Law, Devex, Earthrights, Publish What you Pay
Photo: The Star

Top Five Tumblr Blogs on Global Issues

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Tumblr is a place that’s proving to be a front-runner for go-to resources that bring social, racial and economic justice to light. Here are some of the most popular blogs on national and global issues:

1. World Bank Dataviz – http://worldbank.tumblr.com

The World Bank Dataviz provides visual information about global poverty issues ranging from the best and worst places to be a working woman to literary rates varying among Indian states. These infographics and interactive charts and maps help users identify how different issues are treated around the world.

2. NPR Global Health – http://nprglobalhealth.tumblr.com

NPR Global Health collects stories, images and multimedia that showcase the progress and developments in global health. Here, you can read about the experiences of a Peace Corps volunteer living in Northern Ghana or how a small village of Barkedu, Liberia is still struggling to survive after Ebola hit. This blog is curated by NPR’s Science Desk staff members.

3. Disrupting Poverty – http://annegoddard.tumblr.com

Disrupting Poverty is a blog run by a woman who has worn many hats over the years — Peace Corps volunteer in Africa, mother raising children overseas, aid worker and now CEO of an international child development organization called Child Fund International. Her experiences offer a unique insight into global issues.

4. The People’s Record – http://thepeoplesrec.com

The People’s Record is a curated documentation of social and racial justice, LGBTQ liberation, feminism, labor struggles and more. This blog highlights the stories that often go unreported by mainstream media, and it does so through memes, screenshots of Twitter feeds, Vines, and other multimedia to keep users interested and to start the discussion.

5. Oxfam GB – http://oxfamgb.tumblr.com

Oxfam GB believes that poverty is an injustice that is possible to overcome by tackling its root causes and creating political solutions that empower all societies. This blog highlights some of the stories of people living in poverty and offers resources on how you can get involved.

– Chelsee Yee

Sources: Disrupting Poverty, NPR Global Health, Oxfam GB, The People’s Record, World Bank Dataviz
Photo: Flickr

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UN Votes to Send Aid to Syrian Rebels

On July 14, the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to send cross-border humanitarian aid to areas of Syria controlled by Syrian rebels in desperate need of food and medicine. This decision was made despite strong objections from the Syrian government.

The vote came out 15 to 0, meaning that all members of the U.N. Security Council agreed on this decision. The unanimity is notably rare in U.N. council meetings.

Approximately 10.8 million Syrians—nearly half of the country’s population—are in need of food, medicine and other supplies due to Syria’s on-going war. This is a huge increase from about one million citizens in 2011. And nearly half of these people live in rebel-held areas.

The conflict in Syria has thus far left 150,000 people dead, and created widespread instability in the country. U.N. officials refer to this situation as one of the world’s biggest humanitarian disasters.

Until now, nearly 90 percent of aid from the U.N. Security Council was appropriated for those in government-controlled regions. The new initiative will bring aid to an additional 1.3 million people in need.

Russia and China threatened to veto the resolution, resulting in a weaker compromise than many Western nations had hoped for, according to the BBC’s Nick Bryant. The Syrian government also warned the U.N. that it would consider such resolutions a violation of national sovereignty.

Prior to this vote, aid going to Syria first went through the nation’s capital of Damascus, on President Bashar al-Assad’s orders. This meant that Assad gained control of all aid coming in. Many believed this aid was used as leverage against the rebel efforts, since very little of it ever made it to their held regions.

U.N. ambassador from Luxembourg, Sylvie Lucas, said that Assad’s denial of supplies to rebel-controlled regions was the main reason the resolution came about.

She said that under the new resolution, “the consent of the Syrian government will no longer be necessary.”

The new resolution authorizes U.N. agencies and other aid organizations to send humanitarian assistance using routes across four conflict border lines in Turkey, Jordan and Iraq. These routes will allow the U.N. to monitor aid shipments in these three countries before they are sent across the Syrian border. These routes will come in addition to those previously used for aid.

Nongovernmental organizations such as Save the Children and Oxfam welcomed the resolution, and will likely assist the U.N. in carrying it out.

Bashar al Jaafari, Syria’s U.N. ambassador, was strongly opposed to the measure. He was invited to attend the vote, and was sharply critical of the resolution, citing Syria’s efforts to accommodate international relief. He also stated that Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar—countries advocating humanitarian access—were in large part responsible for empowering Islamic extremists destabilizing Syria and Iraq.

“First and foremost, terrorism must stop for the humanitarian situation in Syria to improve,” he said.

Despite opposition and warning from Syrian government officials, humanitarian assistance in rebel-held areas will be implemented in the near future.

– Paige Frazier

Sources: BBC, The New York Times, CBC News
Photo: NPR

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Aid Impact of Religious Organizations

For a long time faith-based organizations have played an important role in foreign aid. One of the great advantages brought by these organizations is their ability to connect their congregations in developing countries with their counterparts in industrialized nations. But is there really a difference between the contributions of secular versus religious organizations with regard to foreign aid?

Partnerships with faith-based organizations based in countries affected by poverty, natural disasters and other crises has been key in providing access for development agencies and NGOs in these countries. Some would even argue that without faith-based organizations the flow of aid would be halted to a minimum. This argument is supported by the notion that religious individuals or groups find it much easier to translate compassion into action.

However, this argument loses some of its strength if we consider aid not as a charity, but as an investment. What is more, there are certainly large secular organizations such as Doctors without Borders or Oxfam that have made a huge impact on poverty alleviation.

There is certainly a premise within religious indoctrination that drives to donate for charitable causes. It is even specifically included in the various religious customs and traditions. However, this does not necessarily mean that there would be no aid without faith-based organization.

According to Fiona Fox, founding director of the independent press office Science Media Centre, to improve people’s lives is as much the mission of science as it is of religion. There are countless individuals and groups who do not abide by any religion, and who work arduously to fight hunger and poverty.

In fact, an expanded definition of aid which includes the work of institutes such a the Welcome Trust and the Medical Research Centre dedicated to finding solutions to many health problems in the developing world shows that faith-based organizations do not stand alone in fighting the human plight.

It is difficult to support the idea that there would be no aid without religious organizations. However, it would also be unfair to assume that these organizations do not do their fair share of the work. In the end, it should not matter how much is contributed by a faith-based versus a secular organization, but taking note of the real impact and what kind of results are being generated by both.

– Sahar Abi Hassan

Sources: Center for American Progress, The Guardian 1, The Guardian 2
Photo: opbronx

TransPerfect: The Perfect Donation

Many large businesses recognize the importance of philanthropic initiatives. They understand that all people, linked by common humanity, have a responsibility to help each other. However, all people are not linked by a common language. Language barriers can, at times, get in the way of global philanthropy. Fortunately, TransPerfect, a translation services company based in New York City, is contributing to the alleviation of this obstacle.

TransPerfect has offices in six different continents and provides translation and interpretation services in over 170 languages. Today, after 20 years in business, it is ranked as one of the Women Presidents’ Organization’s “50 Fastest-Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies” and received the 2014 Global Technology Award from World Trade Week.

TransPerfect also donates significant funds to disaster relief globally and programs benefiting underprivileged people in its home-state of New York.

The largest portion of the company’s charitable donations goes to Heifer International, a relief project that helps impoverished families by donating livestock and other resources. TransPerfect’s donations to Heifer International have helped the organization to supply people in 115 countries with sheep, pigs, chickens, bees and trees.

Even more important than its financial donations, however, are donations of its services.

Recently, TransPerfect announced that it has been chosen as the official language services partner of Oxfam Belgium. Oxfam Belgium is a regional sector of the larger Oxfam organization which seeks to end injustice and poverty in the world. Specifically, Oxfam Belgium focuses its efforts on encouraging people to buy fair trade products, shop in its second-hand stores and contribute to foreign aid in any way possible.

By engaging in this partnership, TransPerfect will donate translation services to the Oxfam Belgium organization. It will translate brochures and other public relations material into Dutch and French so that the Oxfam organization can make effective and engaging presentations to people in the Netherlands. Hopefully, these presentations will catalyze even greater foreign aid and humanitarian projects from this area of the world.

TransPerfect is highly effective in the fight against global poverty, not only because of the relief that it provides for so many charitable organizations, but because its services enable organizations to communicate across cultures. Its translation and interpretation services eliminate the language barriers that often get in the way of effectively explaining projects, goals and other causes. By teaming up with organizations such as Oxfam Belgium, TransPerfect empowers global philanthropists to better carry out their missions.

— Emily Walthouse

Sources: Fort Mill Times, Transperfect 1, Transperfect 2, Heifer International
Photo: AZ BIG Media

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Britain’s Five Richest Families Worth More Than Poorest 20%

Income inequality is one of the biggest issues facing the world today. There is not a nation on Earth that is not affected by it in some way or another. The United Kingdom is currently facing a food crisis of national proportions with hundreds of thousands having to access emergency shelter food. Income inequality is also driving a wedge deeper and deeper in the British economy, making daily life even more difficult for working class families.

According to a study that was published by the charity organization Oxfam, the United Kingdom’s richest .1% have had their own personal incomes grow by over four times what the lowest 90% of Britain’s population have. Oxfam’s study used Forbe’s latest list of billionaires, and goes on to say that the United Kingdom’s five richest families have a total worth of over 28.2 billion pounds while the lowest 20% of the United Kingdom’s population only accumulated 28.1 billion pounds.

The Duke of Westminster topped the list of the top richest families in the United Kingdom. Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor is worth over 7.9 billion pounds and owns over 100 acres in London and Belgravia. The second highest were the Reuben brothers who are deal in extremely profitable metal business deals. Their company Trans World Metals, at its peak, controlled over 5% of the world aluminum supply. The third family on the list are the Hinduja Brothers who are worth over 6 billion pounds. The Hinduja brothers gained their fortunate by creating the Hinduja Group, which is conglomerate that oversees more than 21 companies that range from banks, to transportation systems, to chemical plants.

The fourth richest family in Britain is the Cadogan Family; the Viscount and Viscountess of Chelsea and their net worth of over 4 billion pounds. The fifth name on the list is Mike Ashley, owner of the prestigious football club Newcastle United who brought up the rear at 3.3 billion pounds.

The wealth that these families have accumulated is both astounding and impressive. However, in 2014 one of the biggest issues to both world leaders and citizens alike is the ever present issue of income inequality. The World Economic Forum declared that income inequality is one of the biggest threats that the world is facing today. Jennifer Blanke, the World Economic Forum’s Chief Economist cited the Arab Spring, as well as recent issues in both Brazil and South Africa as examples of how “…people are not going to stand for it anymore.”

The news that the top five richest families in Britain have accrued as much wealth as the bottom 20% is another piece of the income inequality puzzle that needs to be addressed and examined in a timely manner. The continuing rift between the rich and poor in every country around the world must be a main focus for the world’s leaders in order to take steps to address this issue.

– Arthur Fuller

Sources: The Guardian, The Independent, The Independent, The Guardian
Photo: Salon

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Twittersphere: International Women’s Day

The month of March, along with the end of winter, is a time to reflect and appreciate all the women in our lives and throughout the world. Women’s History Month began in 1987 after the National Women’s History Project petitioned Congress and it has been reauthorized or designated every year since.

It is critical to recognize the importance of women throughout the world. They are the keystone to every healthy family, often taking on both the roles of mother and caregiver while also contributing to the household income base. They are teachers, CEOs, mothers, sisters, aunts, military personnel, athletes and just about every other job under the sun.

March 8 was International Women’s Day and people from all over the globe took to Twitter to voice their support and raise awareness for women’s issues. Here are some of the top tweets:

@OneCampaign: Happy International Women’s Day! Find out why women are the secret weapon in ending poverty http://ow.ly/iyrZ5

@Oxfam: Women perform 66 (percent) of the work, produce 50 (percent) of the food, but earn only 10 (percent) of the income & own 1 (percent) of the property #IWD pic.twitter.com/r9M4ShlUjf

@stephRWolf: International Women’s Day 2014: What kind of world do YOU want to build? http://cnn.it/1jZBHvy via @cnni #CNNwomen

@JuxDotCom: Happy International Women’s Day from Jux. Because without women who would we be, what would we become, when would we eat, why would we live?

@PREVNet: Happy International Women’s Day! Let’s reflect on how we treat the girls & women in our lives. Are we acting with kindness? We can do better

@YWCA_Canada: Happy International Women’s Day! Let’s celebrate how far we’ve come, but advocate for women’s rights every day. #IWD pic.twitter.com/aEnthxbs8K

@NadhieraYoung: Happy International Women’s Day! Be yourself, bcs you are already beautiful just the way you are :)

@AJLucaci: “There is only one known cure for poverty, known colloquially as ‘The Empowerment of Women'” Happy International Women’s Day, everyone!

@kassiehernandez: Happy International Women’s Day, Ladies! Let’s continue empowering women and eliminate gender inequality http://3bl.me/kde948 #IWD

@ECA_AS: Meet the 10 extraordinary recipients of the 2014 Int’l Women of Courage Awards: http://owl.li/ucTfL #IWOC #IWD

Studies have shown that women are vital to the health of a society. Increases in women’s education help the entire family make better choices and lead healthier lives. We cannot thank them enough for all that they give and we as a society must stay vigilant of the continued struggle women face throughout the world.

– Sunny Bhatt

Sources: Twitter, Women History Month
Photo: Presse Box

Shark Tank Host: Global Inequality Report “Fantastic”

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Kevin O’Leary, best known in the United States for Shark Tank on ABC, commended Oxfam International’s most recent report that stated that the world’s 85 richest people possess the same amount of wealth as the poorest half of the planet’s population.

O’Leary is also a Canadian businessman and a co-host of Canada’s “The Lang and O’Leary Exchange.” On Shark Tank, O’Leary is known as “Mr. Wonderful” and the show has gained fame in the last few years for its success stories.

The report titled “Working for the Few,” detailed that 3.5 billion people, the poorest half of the world’s population, accounts for only $1.7 trillion, which is about 0.7 percent of the entire world’s wealth. In contrast, the richest 1% in the world has about $110 trillion, which makes up 46% of the world’s wealth.

O’Leary said, “This is a great thing because it inspires everybody, gets them motivated to look up to the one percent and say, ‘I want to become one of those people, I’m going to fight hard to get up to the top.”

The general reactions to Oxfam’s report, released in mid-January have been of great concern. World leaders have taken this report into account in deciding how to best improve the global economy and attempt to close the ever-growing gap between the rich and poor.

Oxfam’s executive director, Winnie Byanyima found the report cautionary as, “Widening inequality is creating a vicious circle where wealth and power and increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few, leaving the rest of us to fight over crumbs from the top table.”

Americans have especially found the wealth gap disheartening, as a recent Gallup poll reported that two-thirds of the nations were not satisfied with the distribution of income and wealth. Many Americans have been forced to take lower-paying jobs because of the economic downturn.

However, this is a worldwide issue, with the wealth gap widening in many countries. A larger wealth gap produces more social tension, which could prove to be an enormous threat in the future. Oxfam has called extreme inequality a huge danger and furthermore, “the extreme levels of wealth concentration occurring today threat to exclude hundreds of millions of people from realizing the benefits of their talents and hard work.”

O’Leary went on to say, “This is fantastic news and of course I’m going to applaud it. What can be wrong with this?”

In response, O’Leary’s cohost Amanda Lang was silent upon hearing his comments. Lang asked her cohost, “So somebody living on a dollar a day in Africa is getting up in the morning and saying, ‘I’m going to be Bill Gates’?”

O’Leary’s response was a repetition of his previous comments about the world’s economic conditions serving as a source of motivation.

O’Leary’s comments have faced serious backlash from various news sources, with one contributor to Forbes writing that, “this is a moment for CBC and ABC to show some responsible leadership, and yank O’Leary off the air.”

Despite O’Leary’s comments, Oxfam is stressing the importance of its findings, with Byanyima warning that if no action is taken, “we will soon live in a world where equality of opportunity is just a dream.”

– Julie Guacci

Sources: Huffington Post, Forbes, LA Times
Photo: Business Insider