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Oxfam: 85 People Have the Same Wealth as the Lower 50 Percent

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The global income inequality numbers are staggering. According to a new report from Oxfam International, 85 people control as much wealth as half the world’s population, or 3.5 billion people.

The study also found that 70 percent of all people live in countries where this income gap is growing. Oxfam calls this economic trend “ a major risk to human progress.”

The research, focused on the global stage, echoes the sentiment of both United States President Barack Obama, who called American income inequality, “the defining challenge of our time” and Pope Francis’ indictment of global capitalism. It now seems the whole world is paying attention to the growing divide between rich and poor.

However, in spite of growing awareness, the problem seems to be getting worse, not better.

The Oxfam report raises concerns about the effects of economic inequality on democratic systems of government, saying that the concentration of money in the hands of a few undermines the influence of ordinary people.

They argue that markets are not impartial phenomena, but are the construction of the wealthy elite—rigged to move more money and assets into their hands. The report goes on to provide short, specific examples from across the globe indicating how capital corrupts (and breaks) political processes.

But it is not all finger pointing. Oxfam does offer specific recommendations as to how people can face this problem in the coming years. Their policy recommendations include tax reform, living wages, labor safety and healthcare legislation, stronger regulation and the reduced political influence of capital.

The cost of not adopting these recommendations, the claim, will likely prove catastrophic for the world’s poor and for democracy abroad.

– Chase Colton

Sources: Oxfam, Al Jazeera, NPR
Photo: Borgen Project

Educating Women: An Efficient Angle Towards Solving Global Poverty

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It has been said, to fight poverty start with educating women. Sounds simplistic, but by no means can it be argued as a holistic or the only solution to global poverty. What has been proven without a shadow of a doubt, however, is that from the shadows of our patriarchic cultural past, women still do not enjoy full equality.

In the U.S. This manifests in lower pay and lower rates of CEOs, high executives or public officials, a travesty for sure. Yet in many countries around the world this inequity in rights manifests in much more horrific ways. One does not need to look any further than Malala Yousafzai, and her recently well publicized campaign. What’s disturbing is that what happened to her is a daily occurrence around the world.

So again, while it may not be a silver bullet, attacking poverty by starting with women is an argument that is well founded and arguably proved by social science academia as an extremely effective way to start.

Coupled with the longstanding stance that education is the way out of poverty — i.e. an ability to be self-reliant — to have the knowledge and understanding to progress yourself into a better situation. And, perhaps even more importantly, is the aspect of early childhood education as it is a crucial role of programming the roots of individuals.

Therefore, it could be naturally deduced that women’s education, or even more specifically girls’ education, is one of the areas where more focus and understanding should be applied.

With research institutions and think tanks like OXFAM and UNICEF providing information, and micro-finance or hands on organizations like CARE.org or NURU international, everyone with an internet access and 2 bucks to spare can make a huge impact on moving this planet towards a better more equitable place for all.

Here are some organizations working directly in this arena that you can look into for more answers, or to become an active participant in the solutions:

1 – The Borgen Project
2 – Nuru International
3 – Care.org
4 – Kiva.com
5 – UNICEF
6 – UNESCO
7 – Global Fund for Women

– Tyler Shafsky

Sources: Huffington Post, CNN
Photo: Huffington Post

Dubai International Film Festival Charity Gala

This week, The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) held its third consecutive “One Night to Change Lives” fundraiser in Dubai’s Armani Hotel. The event was a gala fundraiser and all proceeds went towards Dubai Cares, an organization based in the United Arab Emirates, and Oxfam. The festival was supported by United Nations Messenger of Peace Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai.

Donations were collected through an action that sold both experiences and collectibles. Among the most notable experiences auctioned off were two tickets to the world premiere of Captain America: The Winter Solider, donated by actress Scarlett Johansson, and tickets to the premiere of the latest James Bond film. Among the auctioned items were James Bond memorabilia and paintings by Abolfazl Lierh and Afsaneh Taebi.

The stars who attended the event included actresses from Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Goldie, Bollywood stars. The Earl and Countes of Carnavon attended the event to support DIFF’s efforts. When asked why she had flown to Dubai, the countess replied, “for all of us back home, it’s hard to understand, as we sit in comfortable homes with central heating, that many millions of people have been displaced in Syria, and another two million have nowhere to live. It’s absolutely horrendous.”

The gala raised over $1 million in donations that will be used to address the current crisis in Syria. Hundreds of children and families have sought refugee in Lebanon and Jordan and do not have access to enough supplies for survival. The proceeds from the gala will go towards basic supplies and sanitation facilities for the refugees.

The previous year, the event also raised over $1 million to fund schools in Pakistan. Further donations are being accepted on the Oxfam United Kingdom website.

– Lienna Feleke-Eshete

Sources: All Africa
Photo: Time Out Dubai

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Ra Ra Riot Promotes Poverty Alleviation on Tour

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Unlike most musicians, indie rock band Ra Ra Riot endorses more than just good music and a rockstar lifestyle during their world tours.

Formed in 2006 at Syracuse University, Ra Ra Riot has included the humanitarian organization Oxfam International at their concerts since their earliest shows. Ra Ra Riot band members Rebecca Zeller and Mathieu Santos have spoken openly in support of Oxfam’s mission to end poverty, hunger, and injustice across the globe, saying that they believe it is important to connect the cause to their music.

But allowing for tabling at concerts isn’t the only way that Ra Ra Riot shows its support for Oxfam and alleviating global poverty. In 2011, the band partnered with streaming music service Songza to raise money for Oxfam. For each person that became a “fan” of the Ra Ra Riot music station, Songza donated $0.50 to Oxfam America.

The indie band has also held concerts, such as ThrillCall’s Launch Party with Lissy Trullie, where all ticket proceeds were donated to Oxfam. Recently, Oxfam America released its annual Summer Jams album, featuring artists such as Ra Ra Riot, Wilco, and Calexico to help raise awareness about their work.

Music brings people of all different backgrounds together and makes them feel connected to each other. Ra Ra Riot has not only brought their listeners together in support of their music, but also in support of the world’s poor. What more can be asked of a band?

– Tara Young

Sources: Music for Good, OxFam America
Photo: OxFam America

Rising Debt Means Falling Aid

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While some economies may be taking the first steps towards recovery, the repercussions of the global economic crisis are still being felt in the majority of countries. And one of the biggest casualties of the continued recession could be progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Increased spending over the last few years led to rapid progress on many of the MDGs, however, a recent report entitled “Putting Progress at Risk” by Oxfam International shows that the majority of developing countries are now spending well below the amount required to continue with progress on the various social issues promoted by the MDGs.

While cuts necessitated by the global economic crisis have been made by developing countries – in such areas as agricultural spending, maintenance of water facilities, and wages for teachers and nurse – the problem is exacerbated by the effect the economic crisis has had on developed nations.

The report tracks the spending of 52 developing nations by using data from the Government Spending Watch database. The data shows that these countries have lost a combined $140 billion in revenues during the economic crisis. Unfortunately, at the same time as revenue generation in these countries is declining, international aid is also falling. As a result, countries are being forced to choose between increased borrowing and rising debt, and cutting funding to their own development programs. According to the Government Spending Watch database, only 20% of these countries are meeting targets for agricultural spending, and 40% are reaching the level the World Health Organization recommends for spending on health.

This combination of rising internal debt, and falling external aid, has many developing countries trapped and unable to generate enough revenue to support development, and yet needing that development to happen in order to promote future growth. Developed nations must hold to their initial pledges for aid, otherwise all the progress so far seen could slip away.

– David Wilson

Source: Caledonian Mercury, Oxfam

Vital Increase in Rice Production in Haiti

Vital Increase in Rice Production in HaitiRecently the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization predicted that Haiti would see a 25% increase in its rice crop production between 2012 and 2013. For Haiti, a country that most often receives attention for reasons such as extreme poverty and inequality, this news is a step in the right direction.

Rice is a daily staple food for Haitians, yet they import 83% of the crop, mostly from the U.S. This leaves Haitians vulnerable to volatile world-market prices. Between 2003 and 2008 the price of rice increased fivefold. The price spike resulted in widespread hardship throughout the country. As a result, the Haitian government now aims to be food self-sufficient by 2016.

The increase in rice production this year is good news for Haiti, but the country still has a long way to go. Despite the increase, they will still have to import more than two-thirds of the rice that Haitians will consume. According to a recent Oxfam report, Haiti can become more independent in rice production if they make more investment in programs such as improved irrigation systems, mills, storage, and drying facilities. The report also concludes that Haitian farmers need access to better transportation, credit, and technical advice.

Oxfam works in Haiti to help alleviate the problems by bringing farmers’ voices into the debate, working to change harmful policies, increasing investment, and using agroecological tools that are effective despite Haiti’s lack of resources. Oxfam has already partnered with USAID to produce a pilot program, called System of Rice Intensification (SRI). SRI boosts crop yields with less seed, less water, and uses organic fertilizer. The increase in rice production this year, then, is a move towards a more sustainable and more self-sufficient system of farming for Haitians.

– Chloe Isacke

Source: Oxfam America
Photo: CNN

The Social Costs of High Food Prices

The Social Costs of High Food Prices

The failure of wages to keep pace with rising food prices is putting a strain on families and communities worldwide, according to a report titled ‘Squeezed’ by OxFam and the International Development Studies. The food price spike of 2011 alone increased the numbers of people living in poverty by an estimated 44 million. The study focused on rural and urban consumers in 10 developing countries: Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Bangladesh, Guatemala, Zambia, Bolivia, Indonesia, Pakistan and Vietnam.

Leaders continue to disregard the specific impacts the food system has on low income households. The authors of the report write, “Many people are earning more, but this is often illusory: wage rises rarely match rises in the cost of living. People have to cope in time-honoured ways by cutting back, substituting, shopping around, and growing and gathering more. The impacts are felt in homes, relationships, communities and work places, changing the way people think about themselves and others.” More often households are being forced to resort to riskier ways of getting income, for example, gold mining in Burkina Faso; sex work in Kenya; and jungle fishing in Bangladesh, despite the risks posed by tigers and pirates. The numbers of migrants has also increased as people must travel to find work. And the stress to food insecurity often leads to increased levels of domestic violence, and alcohol and drug abuse.

The types of food that people consume represent the single best indicator of their well-being. The research from this report uncovered a familiar hierarchy of hardship whereby the poorest people eat too little and lose out on vital nutrients. Even some better-off urban communities are struggling to afford basics, and have begun eating less diverse diets and substituting foods. Latest estimates suggest one in eight of the world’s population suffer from undernourishment and that nearly one in five face food “inadequacy”.

The rising costs of fuel, rent, and agricultural inputs make it more difficult for people to become farmers, despite the need to produce cheaper food. Without relatively large land assets, capital and the capacity to store produce and hedge their cultivation decisions, contemporary farming in the 10 developing countries surveyed will remain very difficult. Furthermore, agriculture is less appealing for young people to enter into due to of unpredictable returns, high input costs, and high costs of living. Education is perceived as a ticket off the farm, and agricultural aspirations are rare.

Societies, too, are changing in response to the food price crisis. Customary cooperative labor arrangements are being replaced with wage labor. The urgent need for cash takes priority over collective social life and values. The high price of essentials translates into a decline in public social life, with families becoming more inwardly focused and people less willing or able to socialize or help each other.

The report recommends that national social protection policies aim to provide routine protection for the poorest and most vulnerable communities, with the understanding that it is too late to start developing schemes when a price spike occurs. Policymakers should design social assistance policies aimed at protecting against spikes in the form of temporary cash or food transfers, or by providing subsidies that are automatically triggered by price rises. And economic leaders should adjust to real changes in needs by linking social protection to inflation.

– Maria Caluag

Sources: Guardian, OxFam-IDS
Photo: Politico

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The Life of a Refugee

Last week the U.N. office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (syrian-child_refugee_war_syria_global_poverty_development_undp_optUNHCR) said more than 1.5 million Syrian civilians had fled their country to escape the civil war that had been raging there for almost two years. Dan McNorton, a spokesman for the UNHCR, said the actual number of refugees is probably much higher due to concerns some Syrians have regarding registration. In addition, approximately 4 million people have been internally displaced since the beginning of the conflict. So what does this mean for the Syrian people who are now refugees? What can be expected in the life of a refugee?

The UNHCR defines a refugee as a person who,

owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country.

Like the Syrian refugees, many are often caught between a rock and a hard place. If they stay, they put themselves and their families in serious danger. If they flee, instability and uncertainty greet them at every turn. The UNHCR was created in 1950 to lead and coordinates international efforts to protect and assist people facing this difficult decision.  They protect the basic human rights of refugees and aim to ensure all refugees are given the opportunity to seek asylum in another country.

The starting point for many is often a UN refugee camp, intended to create a safe haven until they can begin their lives anew. Unfortunately, it is all too often the end of the road as well. Those who live in the camps are usually provided basic life sustaining necessities, but many will never leave. They become trapped in a state of dependence on these camps.

Currently, the largest and oldest camp (designed to house around 90,000 people) is home to almost half a million people, mostly from Somalia. It was intended to be a temporary solution for the influx of refugees from Somalia when the country descended into civil war more than 20 years ago, but the remoteness of its eastern Kenyan location and threats to security have prevented the UNHCR from further developing the camp for those who have permanently settled there. Education and sanitation is limited and the camp is extremely overcrowded.

The Syrian refugees have fled mostly to the neighboring countries of Jordan and Lebanon. Just last week Oxfam issued an urgent appeal for funds to assist those who are fleeing the conflict. Rick Bauer, the regional humanitarian coordinator for Oxfam said, “The sad reality is that the vast majority of Syrian refugees are not going home soon. He added that Oxfam is “starting to really worry about the health of Syrian refugees”.

“The aid effort must be properly funded and focused on providing refugees with affordable and decent places to stay, where they can live with dignity. That’s priority number one for refugees and host communities alike,” he said.

Priority number one indeed. But for the sake of Syrians who find themselves in a refugee camp, we hope they do not stay long.

– Erin N. Ponsonby

Source: CNN, UNHCR, Raw Story
Photo: MWB

Taxation Could End Global Poverty

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Research released by Oxfam declared that global poverty could be solved entirely if taxes were applied to the offshore assets across the globe. At a rate of 3.5% taxation on the USD trillions of assets and capital held in hidden havens could generate USD 156 billion in extra tax revenue.

According to Oxfam, this taxation could end global poverty with room to spare. Oxfam research indicates that USD 66 billion per year is the cost of funding poverty reduction. If the taxation were to take place, it would ensure that every person in the world could be given a minimum income of USD 1.25 per day. This minimum income is the estimated amount of money needed to lift one person out of poverty.

Currently there are USD 18.5 billion in assets and capital in offshore jurisdictions with approximately USD 12 billion being held in European tax havens such as Luxembourg, Andorra, and Malta.

– Kira Maixner

Source: Taxation Info News
Photo: Jezebel

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Top 10 Global Poverty Blogs

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These top 10 global poverty blogs are some of the best of the best in addressing the issues, solutions, and concerns surrounding the global battle against extreme poverty.

1. The Borgen Project – Works with US Congressional leaders to improve the USAID response to the global poverty crisis; advocacy to secure crucial poverty-reducing legislation, mobilization and awareness campaigns making poverty a political priority. The blog addresses the impact of poverty from every angle, and highlights innovative and dynamic development successes.

2. The Impatient Optimist – The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation blog features the work of the foundation’s grantees, partners, leadership, and staff, as well as other bloggers, to provide commentary and insight on the issues of poverty. Stories and updates from the people working every day to help alleviate poverty, help promote health, and to help every student in the United States realize his or her full potential through education.

3. The Huffington Post – The highly respected news agency developed their Impact blog with reputable contributors from around the world, renowned journalists, stories about celebrities and average people, domestic and global poverty concerns and innovations, and good-news-stories. Type in the search word “poverty” and find a vast archive of videos and articles covering poverty concerns.

4. The World Bank – “Working for a world free of poverty,” this blog is a forum for discussing development issues and provides open access to WB data. Open access to data is a key part of the WB’s commitment to sharing knowledge to improve people’s lives.  The Open Data Initiative believes that “statistics tell the story of people in developing countries, and can play an important part in helping to overcome poverty” – WB’s President, Robert Zoellick.

5. The United Nations Development Programme – Details the UNDP’s 6,000+ development projects and 8,000 outputs in 177 countries and territories worldwide; comprehensive, qualitative and timely information about how aid flows and its results. The blog is also part of the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) to which UNDP is a signatory, advocating voluntary transparency aimed at making information about aid spending easier to access, understand and use.

6. The U.S. Department of State – Mission: to create a more secure, democratic, and prosperous world for the benefit of the American people and the international community. Blogs.state.gov offers up to the minute news coverage of U.S. foreign policy information; their blog offers the opportunity for participants to discuss important foreign policy issues with senior Department officials. Blog.usaid.gov shows exactly what America is doing around the world to help reduce poverty and improve development.

7. InterAction – An alliance organization of more than 180 U.S. based non-governmental organizations (NGOs), working around the world. InterAction serves as a convener, thought leader and voice of their member community. Their blog represents the collective mobilization of its members in: international development, humanitarian aid, accountability and policy creation.

8. ONE – Is a global mobilization of over three million people, unifying to fight “the absurdity of extreme poverty.” Co-founder Bono is part of the group’s influential leadership team, joined by other political and humanitarian experts from around the world. Their blog aims to educate and facilitate the general public in direct action for poverty reduction, and subsequent issues resulting from poverty.

9. Oxfam America – “Working together to end poverty and injustice,” Oxfam America is a global organization working to right the wrongs of poverty, hunger, and injustice and to develop long-term solutions for social change. The international Oxfam confederation works in more than 90 countries, and their blog is a comprehensive look at all political, economic, humanitarian angles of poverty issues.

10. Business Fights Poverty – The world’s largest network of business and development professionals, NGOs and academia all focused on fighting poverty through business. Their blog highlights how business can combat poverty, providing resources, methods and tools for business and thus economic development, showing impact and opportunities.

– Mary Purcell

Photo Source: Impatient Optimist