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Pulse of South Sudan Project: Changing Poverty Data Collection

Pulse of South Sudan Project

The World Bank has proclaimed that the Pulse of South Sudan Project Initiative is a technological revolution that is completely changing the way poverty data is collected. It notes that “The world has an ambitious goal to end extreme poverty by 2030. But, without good poverty data, it is impossible to know whether we are making progress, or whether programs and policies are reaching those who are the most in need.”

Typical poverty data collection, often in partnership with organizations and agencies from the United Nations, UNICEF or the World Bank itself, is through household surveys and policy analysis. National statistical offices set out with pen and paper questionnaires to interview respondents, the data gathered is transferred to a computer database and a poverty rate is calculated. While technology can help streamline the process and eradicate any flaws or errors made when collecting answers to these poverty-based questions and translating them into percentages and national averages, it is still an incredibly impersonal and isolating process.

What the Pulse of South Sudan Project Initiative does when collecting data is that when household surveys are conducted, short, personalized testimonials are also recorded. This is a significant difference from the common data collection process because these short testimonials allow the data to have a face behind it. It reveals how these statistics can relate to life and life experiences.

The Pulse of South Sudan Project is also more formally called the High Frequency South Sudan Survey (HFSSS). By recording testimonials, the project captures livelihoods alongside important consumption patterns. When capturing the livelihoods of South Sudanese citizens, their perspectives on life can be better understood and policy can be better created and implemented for these citizens.

As the project’s homepage states, “the HFSSS aims to fill the lack of reliable data on South Sudan. This data can provide feedback to the government from their citizens and identify stresses early on.”

The project has limits that constitute room for growth and improvement. South Sudan is a conflict-stricken area and its three most affected areas have not yet been recorded by the project, therefore it is not yet providing a fully national perspective.

In spite of the beginning limitations, the project initiative still manages to give a voice to an impoverished community that is otherwise among the least acknowledged and represented. It is a landmark survey that has numerous implications that are exciting for the future of data collection in general. This future of poverty data collection begins in South Sudan, but can lend an ear to impoverished communities globally that otherwise feel left in silence.

– Gabriella Paez

Photo: Flickr

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How to Help Honduras and Keep Its Citizens Safe

How to Help HondurasThe term “refugee crisis” has the implication that a group of individuals is subject to persecution, war and/or systemic violence. In essence, a refugee is someone that is catalyzed by fear to leave his or her homeland. So when a United Nations official surveyed the scope of Honduran migrants outside a shelter in Tapachula, Mexico in 2016 and stated “It’s really a refugee crisis,” he called on the world to answer the question “Why are Hondurans afraid to return home?”

In 2014, the number of unaccompanied Honduran minors apprehended in their attempts to cross the U.S. border increased from 7,000 to 17,500. It might be hard to imagine why children might place themselves in such a vulnerable, dangerous circumstance, but this stark rise in migrants is easier to comprehend given that over 60 percent of Hondurans live below the poverty line. On top of this, unemployment is only increasing—currently resting at 7.4 percent, and projected to rise over the next few years. Families often send their children to find income outside the nation’s borders; statistics show that Honduran immigrants remit 26 percent of their income back to their home countries, second only to Guatemala.

However, youth migration is an issue that extends far beyond average familial income. As of this year, Honduras is recognized as the most violent country in the world, outside of all current war zones. Last year, the murder rate was down to 60 murders per 100,000 people, which—though still the deadliest rate in the world—has dropped drastically since 2012. This is largely due to gang violence that recruits young and influences close to every aspect of Honduran life, from early education onward. As jobs remain inaccessible, gangs and organized crime only expand. So the question we should be asking is how to help Honduras and end this cycle of crime and poverty.

One method for how to help Honduras is by donating and/or serving with Food for the Poor (FFP), an international relief and development organization based in the United States. Since 1999, in the catastrophic aftermath of Hurricane Mitch, FFP has worked to improve the conditions in Honduras in terms of agriculture, community development, housing, enterprise and youth/orphan support. In this time, the growing organization has developed close to 15,000 housing units and 15 schools, mobilizing the Honduran youth to achieve literacy and access primary education.

The largest of their 91 working projects is the La Esperanza Community Development Project, which worked in five phases to build homes and create working communities that thrive off of their capacity to be self-sufficient, with access to their own gardens, water and school/community centers. Essentially, these communities are created as safe spaces for the nation’s desolately underprivileged—preventing the vulnerable from seeking “protection” by way of violence.

One could also find out how to help Honduras by researching HELP Honduras, an organization partnered with Rotary Clubs, The Rotary Foundation and AYO (Alternativas y Opportunidades) to improve the system of education in this Latin American nation.

Standing for Health, Education and Literacy Program, HELP Honduras works to supply students with uniforms, books and school supplies in order to support their education and keep withdrawal rates down. Though education is free, the issue in Honduras is not affording school, but affording everything that a student requires. Though one may have access to a classroom, it costs on average $180 for a primary school student to enter that classroom with the essentials necessary to learn. This is out of the price range of many Honduran families, and stands in the way of the next generation becoming educated, independent adults.

On top of this, HELP Honduras sponsors certain students in Tegucigalpa, Santa Barbara and Danli. Each student is granted the necessary elements to attend school, including uniforms, shoes, books and supplies, as well as a tutor to help with any subject in which the student is struggling. This helps keep the child motivated and wanting to return.

Parents of these children are also benefitting from this sponsorship, each obligated to attend parenting courses where they take part in preventive health, vocational and educational programs. One program in particular, Economic Opportunities Training, teaches mothers the basics of market strategy, mobilizing them to become an entrepreneur and/or improve their already existing business. Not only will children feel safe and confident within the confines of their school, they will feel secure at home as well, fostering a cycle of self-confidence that will breed bright and prosperous futures.

Programs like these exist as investments in the future of Latin America and attack the roots of global poverty. Contributing your time or money to aid these programs is a huge help to them and the people of Honduras.

– Briana Fernald

Photo: Flickr

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John McCain Against Ethnic Cleansing in Burma

Senator John McCain Takes a Stand Against Ethnic Cleansing in BurmaOn September 12, 2017, Arizona Senator John McCain spoke out against the treatment of the Rohingya population of the Rakhine State of Burma, also known as Myanmar. The Rohingya people are mostly Muslim-practicing individuals, and according to the United Nations, they are under attack. Specifically, the U.N. stated that the situation, which is characterized by a series of “cruel military operations,” is a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing.”

In his address, Senator McCain withdrew his support of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (NDAA), which sought to expand a military relationship between the United States and Burma. Specifically, Senator McCain criticized Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her lack of interference with the ethnic cleansing in Burma, stating, “I can no longer support expanding military-to-military cooperation given the worsening humanitarian crisis […] against the Rohingya people.”

According to Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow for Southeast Asia Joshua Kurlantzick, Suu Kyi, who is a Nobel Peace Prize recipient for her work with democracy and human rights, “has never demonstrated much sympathy” to the Rohingya people. Suu Kyi has remained mostly silent throughout the humanitarian crisis; however, she has claimed that the ethnic cleansing in Burma was burdened by an “iceberg of misinformation,” which has further enabled the country’s continuous Buddhist nationalist movement.

The Rohingya people, a minority group within Burma‘s largely Buddhist population, are not recognized as an official ethnic group by the country’s government. The attacks against the Rohingya people escalated on August 25, 2017, when the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) targeted multiple Burmese police and military officials.

Approximately 270,000 Rohingya people have fled Burma in order to find safety and solace in Bangladesh. Additionally, tens of thousands of Rohingya people remain displaced throughout Burma. However, the Burmese government has suspended all foreign aid to the Rakhine State, which has left all of the Rohingya people without necessities like food or health services.

Human Rights Watch has called upon the United Nations, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to place pressure on the Burmese government in order to allow access to foreign aid for the Rohingya people. Suu Kyi’s silence has had a significantly negative impact on the attacks against the Rohingya people, but she can help stabilize the situation by allowing foreign aid to reach the misplaced Rohingya people.

The World Food Programme (WFP) is an organization that has provided approximately 580,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh with food, which is particularly important for pregnant women and young children. Also, the WFP’s nutritious food has slightly lessened the risk for disease outbreaks among the Rohingya refugees, as nutritious foods help to strengthen the immune system.

The Rohingya people still remain displaced throughout Bangladesh with no shelter; however, the WFP’s food delivery to the Rohingya people, and Senator McCain’s address, are important beginning steps to helping the refugees obtain better lives.

– Emily Santora

Photo: Flickr

Hunger in Ukraine Amid Conflict

Hunger in Ukraine

Once seen as the “breadbasket of Europe” because of its rich resources, Ukraine has since had tumultuous issues regarding hunger.

Hunger in Ukraine is a prevalent issue due to years of war and conflict. The 2014 Ukraine crisis — in which Russia controversially annexed Crimea — soon led the eastern part of the country to erupt in war, creating widespread political and economic upheaval. Since 2014, there have been multiple ceasefires, but none have been able to successfully quell the conflict.

Facing the Effects of Conflict

The war exacerbated hunger in Ukraine, particularly in the easternmost regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. A 2019 U.S. Agency and International Development report found that approximately 558,000 people in Ukraine were food insecure and 103,000 people were severely food insecure. In 2016, Ukraine was the only European country to receive assistance from the World Food Programme, an organization that began its efforts in the region in 2014.

In 2016, the WFP reported that as eastern Ukraine reeled from this geopolitical conflict, 1.5 million people were left hungry and nearly 300,000 people needed near-immediate assistance. The WFP gave 370,000 people monthly food packages and 180,000 people assistance through cash transfers, according to a 2016 press release.

The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization stated in a December 2017 report that Ukrainians living in rural areas most heavily affected by the war were the most at risk for hunger. The report concluded that the most at-risk populations in the region needed $5.9 million in immediate assistance.

Before the FAO released the report, the organization delivered $2.3 million worth of seed potatoes to the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The initiative was part of the organization’s attempt to bolster agriculture in the conflict-ridden regions and stymie issues of hunger and food insecurity.

“This is a hard time in the conflict area, and it is important that we use the short window of planting season,” said Farrukh Toirov, FAO’s emergency response program coordinator in Ukraine circa May 2017.

Toirov continued, “I see an essential need to continue distributing high-quality inputs like vegetable seeds that can improve the self-production of food for household consumption and also enrich local markets.”

To combat hunger in Ukraine, USAID’s Office of Food for Peace donated more than $4 million during its 2019 fiscal year to non-governmental organizations to offer food assistance to people in the most affected regions.

Changes in Aid for Hunger in Ukraine

Despite the ongoing crisis, Ukraine has seen some improvement in food security over the last 20 years. According to the Global Hunger Index, Ukraine had a score of less than five in 2019, indicating that it had an overall low level of hunger. In 2000, the Global Hunger Index gave Ukraine a score of 13.7, showing that the country had moderately higher levels of hunger.

But even though most of Ukraine does not deal with pervasive hunger, millions in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions continue to deal with food insecurity, and international efforts have slowed in recent years.

The WFP halted its efforts in tackling hunger in Ukraine in 2018, citing a lack of funding and access. Even in four years, the WFP delivered food assistance to millions of Ukrainians and pumped $60 million into the Donetsk and Luhansk economies.

“In those four years, WFP touched many lives across the country and those lives touched us too,” the organization wrote in a Medium post. “WFP will continue to monitor the food security situation in the country while other humanitarian actors will take over assisting the most vulnerable.”

Currently, organizations like the FAO and USAID are continuing to pump millions of dollars in food assistance and agriculture, hoping to eventually relieve hunger in eastern Ukraine amid immense conflict.

– Meghna Maharishi
Photo: Flickr

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10 Facts About the Genocide of Yazidis by ISIL

10 Facts About the Genocide of Yazidis by ISILIslamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as the Islamic State, is an insurgent group operating in Iraq and Syria. Its propaganda is centered around brutality towards its enemies and those who violate Islamic law. Here are 10 facts about the genocide of Yazidis by ISIL.

Top Yazidis Genocide Facts

  1. The Yazidis are a Kurdish religious minority who live in Iraq, Syria, the Caucasus region and some parts of Turkey and Iran. Their religion has elements of Islam, Christianity and Zoroastrianism. The Yazidis were subjected to genocide several times under the Ottoman rule in the 18th and 19th centuries for their beliefs. On August 3, 2014, ISIL attacked the Yazidi living in Sinjar (Iraq).
  2. The most important of the facts about the genocide of Yazidis by ISIL is the orchestrated attack that was a part of a wider offensive to take control of minorities and Christians, who were asked to convert to Islam or pay religious taxes to stay alive. However, the Yazidis were declared infidels and “devil-worshippers” who deserved to be exterminated from the face of the earth.
  3. Tens of thousands of Yazidis had to flee to Mount Sinjar. They remained trapped there for days and many died of hunger and dehydration, while hundreds were massacred by ISIL. On August 7, 2014, the U.S. announced military action to help the trapped Yazidis at the request of the Iraqi government.
  4. Around 10,000 Yazidis were either killed or captured in August 2014 alone, out of which 3,100 were murdered by gunshots, beheaded and burned alive.
  5. In addition to the killings, ISIL systematically separated the women to rape, sexually mutilate and sterilize while many children were sent to training camps.
  6. The sexual violence against Yazidi women captured by ISIL is the most talked about among the facts about the genocide of Yazidis by ISIL. Around 7,000 women were sold as sex slaves or handed to jihadists as concubines. Girls as young as nine were sold off to Islamic State fighters, routinely raped and punished with extreme violence when they tried to escape. Children were killed as a means to punish their mothers for resisting.
  7. Mass graves were found with bodies of older women who could not command a price in the sex market. These mothers and grandmothers were not considered young or beautiful enough to rape, so they were simply taken behind the technical institute to be shot down in Solagh, east of Sinjar.
  8. Videos were recorded of “converted” Yazidi men and boys urging their relatives to convert to Islam and were then shown in all the holding sites. Families that obeyed were reunited. However, ISIL determined in the spring of 2015 that all conversions by Yazidis were false and separated all the reunited families.
  9. The Yazidi shrines of Sheikh Mand, Sheikh Hassan, Malak Fakhraddin and Mahma Rasha were destroyed following the attack. Yazidi homes were marked with symbols to distinguish them from others so that they could be looted and destroyed.
  10. The United Nations has classified the attacks on Yazidis by ISIL as genocide in its report, stating “ISIS has sought to erase the Yazidis through killings; sexual slavery, enslavement, torture and inhuman and degrading treatment and forcible transfer causing serious bodily and mental harm; the infliction of conditions of life that bring about a slow death; the imposition of measures to prevent Yazidi children from being born, including forced conversion of adults, the separation of Yazidi men and women, and mental trauma; and the transfer of Yazidi children from their own families and placing them with ISIS fighters, thereby cutting them off from beliefs and practices of their own religious community.”

– Tripti Sinha

Photo: Flickr

10 Facts About the Burundian Unrest

Burundian UnrestSince 2015, the Republic of Burundi in East Africa has been faced with unrest, due to the current president, Pierre Nkurunziza being elected for a third term. The opposition claimed it was an unconstitutional election – and that Nkurunziza was authoritarian – and began to protest, thus starting the worst civil distress since the civil war that ended in 2005. The Burundian Unrest is brutal, yet virtually unknown to most Americans. Here are 10 facts about the Burundian Unrest:

  1. There has been ethnic tension in Burundi since 1962. In 1890, Ruanda (Rwanda) and Urundi (Burundi) were joined in German East Africa as Ruanda-Urundi. Since then there has been tension between the majority Hutu population with the minority Tutsi population, with Tutsi typically being the dominant ethnic group. Since 1994 (the start of the civil war between Tutsis and Hutus), Burundi has been considered one of Africa’s most difficult conflicts to deal with.
  2. Pierre Nkurunziza was the first president to be chosen in a democratic election since the start of the civil war in 1994.
    Nkurunziza is a former Hutu rebel leader and was elected in 2005 – one of the final steps in a peace process meant to end years of fighting between Hutu rebels and the Tutsi-controlled army. He has since been slowly seeing accusations of authoritarianism, with people boycotting the polls in 2010 and in 2015 when he ran for president again, despite the Burundian constitution limiting presidents to two terms.
  3. Burundian authorities have been abducting and killing its citizens. This is happening at an alarming rate; however, their methods have shifted. In 2015, authorities would openly murder civilians and leave their bodies in the streets of Bujumbura (the capital of Burundi), but recently they have been more discreet about it by kidnapping citizens and not telling their families where they went.
  4. In 2016, an average of more than 100 people a day crossed the Tanzanian border seeking refuge from the chaotic situation.
    These new refugees joined the 250,000 refugees from the year before and are spread out throughout Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The refugees find themselves in shelters that are underfunded and overcrowded. Refugees risk a lot running away from Burundi because if they get caught by the militia, they are labeled “traitors” and are either sent back with a warning or, in extreme cases, assaulted and murdered.
  5. The ruling party in Burundi is the National Council of The Defence of Democracy- Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) The CNDD was created in 1994, as a direct result of the assassination of the democratically elected president that was the start of the civil war. The FDD was later created as an armed wing to establish popular resistance.
  6. Imbonerakure is the youth branch of the CNDD-FDD and is causing a lot of destruction. Imbonerakure is accused of beatings and killings and there is a suspected collaboration with the Burundi government. They have also been raping women related to men who are rebelling against the government. In addition, they have been known to go door to door, extorting money from residents, and have been arresting citizens despite having no technical arresting power.
  7. Mass arrests of opposition parties have been conducted. At least 16 members of the opposition party – National Liberation Forces (FNL) – were arrested in March 2016, with many more arrested in the following months.
  8. Despite being accused of human rights violations, Burundi is on the U.N.’s 47 member Human Rights Council. There was a panel of investigators set up by the human rights council last year, and in early September 2017, they said that they would be delivering the council a list of potential human rights violators in Burundi.
  9. Burundian refugees that have made it out of Burundi still face conflict in their new homes In September of this year, 36 refugees were shot and killed in the Congo, after an altercation with Congolese security forces.
  10. The U.N. has been working in Burundi since 2015. On Jan. 1, 2015 the U.N. Electoral Observation Mission in Burundi (MENUB) began working in the conflicted country. Jamal Benomar, Ban Ki-Moon’s Special Advisor, has been working with the Burundi government on creating a “credible and inclusive political dialogue.” It is a continuation of the U.N. office in Burundi (BNUB) that ended in 2014.

The crisis in Burundi is still rampant, but there are ways that everyday American citizens can help. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has been assisting Burundi since 1996 to help victims recover from the war. The IRC is now focusing its efforts on Burundi’s border with Tanzania and around Bujumbura, the capital. They are providing emergency relief, deinstitutionalizing children in orphanages, teaching young people job skills, helping to manage refugee camps, safeguarding the human rights for refugees and more. Donations to them and organizations like them will go a long way for the people in Burundi and will hopefully allow the Burundian Unrest to begin settling.

– Téa Franco

Photo: Google

How to Help People in Mongolia

How to Help People in Mongolia

How to help people in Mongolia? Over 27 years after the revolution that would lead Mongolia to a democratic form of government, the country faces social and economic issues that have yet to be resolved. Mongolia’s current poverty issues are mostly connected to its climate and natural disasters such as severe snow storms over the winter and droughts during the summer. The characteristic nomadic way of living is slowly fading because of how animals, as well as their owners, are gravely affected by such climate conditions.

As a country whose economy relies on agriculture and cattle raising, such natural impacts destroy Mongolia’s economy from the root. Thus, Mongolia’s poverty is higher in rural areas than in major cities.

The Red Cross has been successfully helping Mongolia’s population during the “dzud,” a natural disaster seen only in Mongolia that is distinguished by its severe low temperatures. 2010 was the culminating point, when eight million animals were killed by the natural phenomenon.

By working hand in hand with families within the affected communities, the Red Cross has provided supplies, shelter, physical and emotional support throughout 17 different provinces across Mongolia.

Ways to Help People in Mongolia

But the different ways of how to help people in Mongolia encompass more than the effects of extreme weather, and therefore have to be tackled with a variety of concepts and strategies.

The United Nations has been working with Mongolia and its citizens to develop an integrated national system as well as macroeconomic plans, which were previously lacking. These strategies have decreased unemployment and reduced poverty due to their economic impact in the country.

The organization People in Need have been working with the country of Mongolia for decades. The NGO ensures access to healthcare for habitants in remote locations, distributes food around the country and helps rebuild rural areas after harsh weather events, among other forms of aid.

How to help people in Mongolia is a question with a simple answer. Creating and spreading awareness is key, and the companies mentioned above and many more are successfully doing this every day. There is hope for Mongolia.

– Paula Gibson

Photo: Flickr

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Natural Disasters Add Obstacles to Recovery for Poor Nations

Natural disastersNatural disasters strike without prejudice. Whether rich or poor, developed or developing, all nations are at risk of some kind of destructive event that is simply out of their hands. However, poor and developing nations have a harder road to recovery after a devastating event. Simply put, nations with sufficient access to resources are more likely to both prevent natural disasters from turning into crises and recover from them when they do occur.

Practically, poor nations do not have the means to initiate preventative measures. They typically do not have early warning systems or sound infrastructure in place to withstand destructive elements. Due to the lack of warning and protection, the United Nations has noted that casualties are often much higher in developing countries. Additionally, natural disasters can cause setbacks to any potential for long-term economic and social growth in a nation, because they force what little funds are available away from development and towards relief efforts. Oftentimes these countries shift their focus to basic needs like acquiring safe water and providing sanitation services rather than developing their economies or social policies.

Haiti is a prime example of a poor nation that has suffered from the inevitable natural occurrences that stem from living in a hurricane-prone area that is also near tectonic plate boundaries. “If you want to put the worst-case scenario together in the Western hemisphere [for disasters], it’s Haiti,” said Richard Olson, a professor at Florida International University who directs the Disaster Risk Reduction in the Americas project.

Disaster experts speaking on Haiti say the cycle starts and ends with poverty. Between poverty lies unstable governments, natural disasters and environmental degradation. Every year, Haiti faces rounds of tropical storms, hurricanes and earthquakes. Many Haitians live in the capital city, Port-au-Prince. However, many of them are migrants from the countryside who live in shantytowns, which offer little protection from the environmental hazards they face.

Debarati Guha Sapir, director of the World Health Organization’s Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, made the comment that vulnerability to natural disasters is almost a direct function of poverty. While a magnitude 7.0 earthquake is devastating anywhere, it causes more damage in places where building quality is poor. Poverty is often the root of that very quality. In comparison to Haiti, the neighboring Dominican Republic is richer and more politically stable, and its buildings withstand the same storms with a greater efficacy.

Due to the inability to prepare for and cope with disasters, developing countries like Haiti depend on relief agencies and governments. Fortunately, agencies like the Red Cross and the United Nations have been able to send relief teams to aid the processes.

By aligning with The Borgen Project’s mission to fight the global poverty crisis, the global community can be best served. When poverty is less of a problem for a nation, so then is recovery after a devastating natural occurrence. The earth is unlikely to stop moving, which means earthquakes and hurricanes are likely to continue to occur. In preparation for the future, reducing the effect that poverty has on susceptible nations must be a top priority.

– Taylor Elkins

Photo: Flickr

A Look at Human Rights in St. Kitts and Nevis

A Look at Human Rights in St. Kitts and NevisSt. Kitts and Nevis is a state comprised of two islands located between the Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea. Their system of government is a parliamentary democracy. For the most part, human rights in St. Kitts and Nevis are protected and not under threat, but the small island nation has faced several issues.

The national constitution prohibits torture and cruel and unusual punishment, but police in St. Kitts and Nevis can be aggressive. The police do not need a warrant to arrest someone. As a result, citizens will often not report crimes for fear of retribution. The lone prison in the country was built in 1840 and shows wear. It is overcrowded; a facility built for a capacity of 150 inmates currently holds around 270.

Despite this, conditions there are not necessarily inhumane. A U.S. State Departmentt report on human rights in St. Kitts and Nevis states that “prisoners and detainees had reasonable access to visitors, were permitted religious observances and had reasonable access to complaint mechanisms and the ability to request inquiry into conditions. The government investigated and monitored prison conditions, and the prison staff periodically received training in human rights.”

While arrest warrants are not necessary, the constitution does grant accused citizens the presumption of innocence and the right to a fair and public trial. There are no political prisoners in St. Kitts and Nevis.

The United Nations has identified rape and violence against women as an issue regarding human rights in St. Kitts and Nevis. Rape is a criminal offense, but spousal rape is not. Women can file rape claims, but may often be reluctant to do so. St. Kitts and Nevis passed the Domestic Violence Act of 2014 into law to address some of these issues.

Child abuse is a problem in St. Kitts and Nevis. Corporal punishment is legal here. Reports of sexual assault against children are not uncommon, despite such acts carrying a stiff criminal penalty.

The treatment of homosexuality is also a concern regarding human rights in St. Kitts and Nevis. Homosexual acts are still criminalized and carry a certain level of societal stigma. In its review of human rights in St. Kitts and Nevis, the United Nations called for the decriminalization of homosexuality on the islands.

The state of human rights in St. Kitts and Nevis is a mixed bag, but perhaps not an unoptimistic one, nor necessarily uncommon for developing democracies. Many of the human rights issues that do exist stem not from the law but from a failure to effectively implement and enforce it. The country has shown a desire to improve its ways, and time will tell whether or not it successfully follows the U.N.’s recommendations.

– Andrew Revord

Photo: Flickr

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International Youth Day 2017

International Youth Day 2017We’ve all heard the old adage that children are the future. While it may sound cliché, this idea is what led the United Nations General Assembly to establish International Youth Day on December 17, 1999.

Each year, the day of August 12 is used to spread awareness of the World Program of Action for Youth, which works to improve situations for children and young adults around the world. International Youth Day is also a tool to recognize the ability of youth to instill change in the world.

Since the first observance of International Youth Day in 2000, a theme has been selected each year. Some of the themes include Addressing Health and Unemployment, Tackling Poverty Together, Change Our World and the 2017 theme of Youth Building Peace.

In 2017, the theme of Youth Building Peace was used to highlight the ability of youth to contribute to conflict resolution and sustainable peace. United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16 aims to ensure that decision making is responsive, inclusive, representative and participatory at all levels.

On December 9, 2015, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution on Youth, Peace and Security and identified five key pillars for action: participation, protection, prevention, partnerships and disengagement and reintegration.

Both the U.N. Security Council and The World Program of Action for Youth recognize though International Youth Day that youths are often left out of important decision making because of their age. “When youth are excluded from political, economic and social spheres and processes, it can be a risk factor for violence and violent forms of conflict,” according to the U.N.

“Therefore, identifying and addressing the social exclusion of young people is a precondition for sustaining peace.”

Throughout the decades, many steps have been taken towards building peace. But in recent years, the occurrence of violence and conflict has been far too prevalent. Youths comprise a large part of populations where violent conflict is prevalent.

Since the population of youth across the globe is the biggest it has ever been, it is important now more than ever to include this population in decisions that will affect the future of peace.

– Madeline Boeding

Photo: Flickr