Oct 04

Free, online education

Nowadays, Internet is our main source of information. We use the Internet to read the news, to communicate, but most of all, to learn. It is a powerful learning resource that is taking over the use we give to libraries and other onsite research sites. This week I was introduced to an interesting website that further confirmed this phenomenon.

The Khanacademy.org is an online academy (see a detailed post about its origins) where videos of topics such as Algebra, Systematics, History, Money and Banking are available to the public. The videos quickly became very popular because with them any student has the possibility to review and practice any subject as much as they want. They now have the option to hear different explanations of the concepts they are learning in class and/or the topics that they don’t have a chance to learn. The online academy also allows you to thear the explanation of the same concept (like derivatives) explained over and over again, as much as you want, until you are sure that you understand the concept.

Free and online education has great advantages. As educational resources increase, education and knowledge become available to anyone who really wants to learn (and who also has a computer with an Internet connection). More education means more opportunities, and websites like the Khan Academy offer a potential to create those new opportunities.

In the Khan Academy website, you can actually practice and improve the skills that you are learning. So it effectively creates a virtual classroom, were the student is confronted with solving questions and problems. However, the Khan Academy is different from the normal classroom because the online academy adapts to the pace of each of student. The student is completely independent to pursue his own interests and improve himself as much as he wants too.

As I watched some of the videos, I was highly pleased to see that they do offer a good and fun explanation of many concepts, concepts as simple as addition and as complicated as a differential equation. I invite anyone who during college or high school struggles with math or with any other science (finance, biology, chemistry) to go to their website and tell me if you think it might be a useful resource for you to overcome any previous difficulties!

Online education, especially websites like the Khan Academy, are changing the classroom setup. On the bright side, it diminishes the number of students that are left behind. If students now have the opportunity to go back again and again to hear the explanation of a subject which they felt they didn’t master completely, it can improve the average grade of the entire classroom. In the standard classroom it is difficult for the teacher to adjust and readjust the class to the learning speed of every student. Some students are faster than others in understanding some concepts. Thus, this online academy may replace and alleviate the difficulties that many teachers face. But this may also lead to a decrease in the necessity of tutors and of private teachers. This would imply a reduction of jobs.

It is probable that as the “online academies” become more and more popular they’ll create more competition for the standard classroom. This is especially true when we consider how expensive education has become. If I can get education online for free, why pay for a diploma? However, I still think that the normal classroom has great importance not because it gives you a diploma but because it allows the direct interaction between students and teachers. The knowledge is transferred in a more direct way, and a relationship between teacher-student can develop. This is something that no video on YouTube could replace. I am sure that schools and universities that provide this direct contact between student and teachers will still remain a necessity for quite a long time.

Julia Naime (@julianasah) is a research intern at the SISGI Group. She is a senior at New York University majoring in Economics. During her internship, she is researching rural and international development and environmental policies. To learn more about the SISGI Group, please visit www.sisgigroup.org. 

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Oct 04

The Continuing Dilemma With North Korea

Two years ago, I was backpacking though Asia, I found myself in Seoul, South Korea visiting friends and watching the World Cup finale. Against direct orders from my parents, I decided to take a tour up to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) along the North Korean border. Having known a substantial bit of history about the peninsula and the tensions plaguing current political intercourse, I was anxious to look over the wall into what I believed to be an alien nation.

Looking back, what startled me most was the discourse in which the South Koreans framed their political situation with the North. While maintaining factually correct stories, the exaggerations they would place on some events gave me a moment to pause. While I know that the North Koreans are not blameless in bad-mouthing and pointing fingers either, the psychologies surrounding the ideas towards one another were steadfast and predetermined.

I was reminded of these memories when I read a September article in Foreign Affairs Magazine proposing yet another opinion towards negotiations with North Korea in the wake of recent aid. In August of this year, the North was hit by heavy flooding, which brought the nation one step closer to an already disastrous situation. The US sent emergency assistance of over one million dollars mostly in the form of plastic sheeting and tents, shying away from food assistance. Author Leon V. Sigal argues that the US must capitalize on recent strides and exploit their energy needs to bring them back to the bargaining table.

What are America’s two options? Ignore North Korea and stop all of the aid we currently send them? Both the World Food Program and the Food and Agriculture Association have presented findings that there will be a severe risk of starvation if US does not extend humanitarian assistance. Already the US government is under harsh criticism for not offering to give even more. America’s other option is to continue with discussions, and allow Pyongyang to continue playing games with multi-party talks, and dangle the threat of nuclear power over the world’s head. This awkward balancing act becomes further complicated with the lobbying from both South Korea and China in trying to influence favorable US actions. We are caught in “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” type of position, where any decisions will draw international criticisms.

While the situation of the Koreas is unique, the difficulty in dealing with dictatorial regimes reliant upon aid is unfortunately not a single occurrence.  Countries such as Zimbabwe and Libya have had long relations with America, and much to our chagrin, our bankrolls. We have watched as these dictators do little to help their citizens, and often do the minimum necessary to keep the foreign donors coming with funds. After all, why should they have to look out for their own citizens when other countries can do the hard work for them? Kim Jung Il is similarly situated, where he can offer policy concessions to the highest bidders while conveniently pocket the funds for personal use. The ultimate fear is that this foreign input will be channeled towards nuclear development, offering Pyongyang extensive international leverage.

Where half-truths and rumors are coming from both the North and the South, it must be difficult for Washington to come to a consensus as to what is the best stance to take with regard to the peninsula. The necessary first steps are to assess and find the exact outcomes they wish to reach with every policy. If the US wishes to simply offer flood relief to be sure that it does not get rerouted, then I believe they achieved that. If the US wishes to bring North Korea back to the negotiating tables, then we must decide how hard to push them in renouncing their nuclear program or instead perhaps look at the long term benefits of leniency. I am sure that there are discussions happening behind the scenes were sensitivity levels can be assessed, but it appears that when there is little international focus on the Koreas there is no rush to address the situation publicly in Washington. However, this continued balancing act with North Korea will be a thorn in the side of developed nations until the world finally understands how to comprehensively disarm, rebuild, and “save” the nation.

–Katherine Peterson is a Program and Research Intern with the SISGI Group focused on theories of development, globalization, and political ramifications of development work. 
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Oct 03

The Fight Over Wall Street

The precarious economical situation, combined with outside influences like the Arab Spring, has caused a unique demonstration to rise in the United States.  Occupy Wall Street, a leaderless movement that consists of people from all backgrounds, has been an ongoing series of demonstrations and rallies since September 17th.  According to the resistance’s website, they are the 99% of individuals who are fed up with the greed and corruption of the wealthy 1% of the nation.  Specifically, the resistance focuses on corporate greed and corruption as well as social inequality.  In order to bring attention to these issues, Occupy Wall Street uses Facebook, twitter, tumblr, and other social media networks to organize rally events and demonstration times.

Occupy Wall Street started with an anti-consumerist non-profit organization known as Adbusters.  The organization’s website clearly states that the inception of the protest began with the effects of the Arab Spring in Tahrir Square, Egypt.  Slowly, due to the use of various social media networks, the Occupy Wall Street resistance came into being, and quickly attracted the attention of thousands of people, including a plethora of young adults, across the nation.  Though the demonstrations mostly take place in the Financial District of New York City, there have been reported “occupations” in other cities like Boston and Los Angeles.  Though no clear demands have been made, the resistance continues to state that it will not end its demonstrations and rallies unless their demands of social equality and corporate reform are met.

Though Occupy Wall Street calls for people of all ages to join their resistance, the majority of individuals who have participated in the rallies have been young adults.  Many are either in college or recent college graduates who have yet to find a job.  A myriad of young people feel that it is time that they rally against the financial system since their economic and job situation is so dire.  The frustration and anxiety over the job market is not just a mental thing for young people, recent statistics back up their fears.  In 2010, only 55.3% of youth between the ages of 16 to 29 were employed; a major decline since 2000 when 67.3% of youth in this age category were employed.  Furthermore, debts from student loans for recent college grads have surpassed credit card debts for the first time, and slim job opportunities make it difficult to pay off the loans.  Thus, it makes sense to see why so many young people have become involved with the Occupy Wall Street resistance.

Though it is amazing to see so many young people get involved in a demonstration that they are passionate about, it is also difficult to see where the Occupy Wall Street resistance is headed.  The resistance idolizes the Arab Spring, specifically the events at Tahrir Square, because so many young adults took part in changing their political situation.  However, it is important to clearly look at the political atmosphere in Egypt prior to the country’s revolution.  There are a plethora of differences between the United States and Egypt, and though it is awe inspiring to see the youth take part in making a major part of history, it is imperative to see whether or not a sustainable result can come out of the resistance.  Seeing young people peacefully get involved in issues that concern them is an absolutely wonderful thing, but history, politics, and past resistances must be taken into consideration when trying to make changes on such a major scale.  Hopefully Occupy Wall Street will secure some of the demands it desires, perhaps something to do with youth unemployment, but it should not be overly disappointed if not all demands are met.

Furthermore, it is equally important to study past youth movements such as peace rallies against the Vietnam War and demonstrations for equal rights.  The end to the war and the right for African Americans to vote, attend integrated schools, and a number of other accomplishments took years of protests and were national concerns.  However, few people know about the Occupy Wall Street resistance, and the movement has not garnered the attention of millions across the country.  Even more pressing is the fact that there have been a great number of anti-corporate movements in American history, but many have been unsuccessful due to the strength of the business industry.  Many times, such movements fall apart when the economy picks up again because impassioned students and workers realize that the job market is once again flourishing.  Thus, Occupy Wall Street is an admirable movement, but those taking part in it must realize that successful results require time, energy, and dedication.

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Sep 30

Are Some Diseases Just Not Sexy Enough?

Anyone having read aid literature is familiar with the stories about underfunded and overcrowded disease clinics throughout Africa. Where patients don’t have the means to pay for treatments, and often medications are in too short supply. These grueling stories tug at the heartstrings of foreign donors, and because they are so far removed from a developed nation’s periphery, these stories are often the first in the toolbox used to elicit aid.

There is, however, a much less “sexy” story mounting itself parallel to these narratives, and one that is growing to look very similar to the problems manifesting themselves in the West. Where communicable or “sexy” diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and hookworm are often the hot topics that aid money is directed towards eradicating, noncommunicable diseases (NCD’s) are on the rise throughout the world. Cancer, diabetes, and heart disease rates are increasing rapidly and developing countries are realizing a growing need to address these issues.

On September 19th of this year, the UN held its second meeting ever discussing health (the first was regarding HIV/AIDS in 2001), issuing a declaration against NCD’s. The declaration specifically targets cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes. The document then proposes measures to reduce the consumption of tobacco and alcohol, promote healthy diets including targets towards children, and encouraging healthy and active lifestyles.

Until recent history, obesity and similar diseases have been considered a rich man’s burden. However, the flaw in this theory is that it is only focusing and comparing the richest and poorest countries. In reality the greatest numbers of countries fall along the developing and middle-income continuum, and without doubt these diseases will begin to manifest as countries become more developed.

The Economist states:

Affluence and urbanization mean new kinds of unhealthy lifestyles. Developing countries already bear more than 80% of the burden of chronic illnesses. Their share will grow—at a time when older diseases are still ravaging the poor. In India over two-fifths of children under five are malnourished, yet obesity is mushrooming.

Here is a clear example of a country caught between two worlds.

Why have the developing nations taken so long to recognize these hurdles? Is it because we feel guilty that along with our monetary donations we export a society of fast food and consumerism towards these nations? Do we not want to recognize that these lifestyles are creating expectations as well pollution, causing an increase of these NCD’s? I don’t know the answers to these questions, but I will bet it is because we ourselves have experienced the effects NCD’s, and this begins to hit too close to home. In the US, if we cannot seem to reach our own citizens suffering from diabetes or cancer, why would we help those abroad instead?

If my thoughts are correct, I believe we need to fundamentally shift the way the developing world offers help for disease control. With 63% of all deaths caused by NCD’s already, the World Health Organization estimates that this will increase 17% over the next decade.

In the same Economist article, they state that these new emerging syndromes are manifesting in unison with the previously targeted diseases. For example often tuberculosis patients are also diabetic. Where funds are available for treating the TB, nothing has been allocated towards providing support for the diabetes. This is the first and most fundamental change that must be made globally: funding must be made available to be used as needed. If a cancer unit or dialysis machine is concluded to provide a greater good for an area, then that is where funding should be going. Secondly, I believe that the developed world bears the burden to be the exemplars of positive lifestyle changes that will make life and the earth more sustainable for our growing and longer living population.

I do not in any way propose to stop funding preventable and transmittable disease. However, I believe that we must recognize that as we see successes in tackling some disorders, the donors must be flexible in understanding where the next hurdles lie. I am happy to see that the UN has taken the helm in recognizing the next step in the direction of health, even if it is not as sexy as before.

Katherine Peterson is a Program and Research Intern with the SISGI Group focused on theories of development, globalization, and political ramifications of development work. 

 

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Sep 30

Using the Tourism Industry to Benefit Youth

Today I thought I would talk to you about an interesting twist on responsible tourism that I stumbled upon: the Youth Career Initiative (YCI).  The YCI was launched in 1995 in Bangkok as part of a community initiative by the Pan Pacific Hotels Group, and was intended to “give back” to society by teaching disadvantaged youth useful skills that would help them get jobs within the hospitality industry.  The program was so successful for the initial participants that it continued to expand, and today it is part of the International Business Leaders Forum and has spread to 12 different countries.  Major hotel chains like the Four Seasons, Marriott, and Starwood have implemented the program, greatly expanding its reach.

So what is the YCI?  It’s a 6-month long education program based in full service hotels that gives students the opportunity to gain work experience in 15 departments, as well as to attend classroom sessions on topics like IT skills and resume workshops.  It is intended for 18-21 –year-olds with little to no means to find legitimate employment or continue their education, meaning that for most of the participants it is their last resort.  The model is not one-size-fits-all, but tailored to address the needs of youth in each specific country, and it has had some good results.  85% of graduates go on to employment (47% in hospitality, 26% in other sectors) or to further education (12% of graduates), which is impressive considering the participants in the program are all youth without any other means to further their education or find legitimate employment.

At first I was a bit skeptical that the program was started as a form of PR for the Pan Pacific Hotels group, but so far it seems to have had some good results, whatever the original intentions.  Isn’t that what matters? As long as the people the program is aimed for are actually benefitting, in a sustainable way, is it a bad thing for the hotels using the program to get a PR bump?  Business ethics has been a concern since the 80s, so the idea of doing good in the local community in exchange for an improved public image is not exactly a new one.   But I think it’s interesting that these hotels have decided to use the booming tourism industry that brings them so much money to help youth with very few options find employment within the industry—or outside of it, as the case may be.  Business ethics programs tend to be focused on the environment or on the business’s carbon footprint, and while both of those things are worthwhile, focusing on those things usually doesn’t do much to help the people within the local community.  Programs like this give a real economic benefit to the community, teaching useful skills to people with few options.  I hope that more hotels jump on the bandwagon and either join this program or create similar ones of their own.

Michelle Bovée is a SISGI Group Program and Research Intern focused on international affairs, economic development, and responsible tourism. To learn more about the SISGI Group visit www.sisgigroup.org

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Sep 30

Too Many Choices

I remember being a kid and going to the mall with my mom to pick a birthday gift. Did I want the new Madden game or the new Fifa game? The Barry Sanders jersey or the Chauncey Billups one? I remember agonizing over this decision, worrying that I’d make one I’d regret at a later date.

According to research conducted by professors Travis Carter and Thomas Gilovich that was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, this fear of regret is not unique to me. They found that when people chose between various material goods, they often continued to compare the good they chose to their other choices and often regretted their decision. Conversely, when people chose to undergo a certain experience over another experience, they tended to be satisfied with their choice.

Carter and Gilovich’s research is really interesting because it makes me wonder if we correctly prioritize our preferences. Many of us are always looking for ways to update our wardrobes, get the top-of-the-line TV’s and phones, and get the newest LeBron’s or Kobe’s to lace up and impress our friends with the next time we play basketball.

As Gordon Gekko said in Wall Street, “greed is good” (or at least it can be). Unnecessary purchases drive our economy. Greedy producers provide desirable goods to us greedy consumers, and in turn, many people get food on the table, clothes to wear, and a roof above their heads. But are these purchases really what make us happy?

Life tends to offer enough stresses as it is. Do we need to create even more in our life because of our inability to choose between a 35’’ flatscreen and a 45’’ flatscreen, or Bose speakers and Sony speakers? According to Carter and Gilovich, we’re going to end up comparing these goods down the line regardless of what we chose and continue to regret the decision we made.

Psychologist Barry Schwartz goes even further than Carter and Gilovich in his TEDTalk “Paradox of Choice.” During the talk, Schwartz argues that the consequences of a consumer having an expanded choice set are more dire than just being unsatisfied with their decision. He states that while you would think more choices would be better for a consumer, they actually lead “paralysis rather than liberation. With so many options to chose from, people find it very difficult to choose at all.”

This paralysis is not limited to someone choosing between different material goods. Schwartz cites a study in which researchers found that the more voluntary retirement plans employers offered their workers, the less likely workers are to choose a plan because they were so worried they’d make the wrong decision. By having so many options, they are no longer able to make choices that would be beneficial for them.

Carter, Gilovich, and Schwartz’s research has political and social implications. Many libertarians such as Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul believe that having choices is necessary for individual liberty. Thus, they oppose governmental interference in individual’s lives and most taxes. While I agree that it is important to have some level of freedom, perhaps we cannot always make the best choice for ourselves. Complete autonomy to decide what to do with our resources is a responsibility that we don’t want and actually hurts us.

But what if we gave some of our choices and opportunities away to others? If some of what enables us to make all of our choices was shifted to people without these choices, we would not only help their lives but we would also help our own lives. Choices usually develop as a result of having wealth. It is unfortunate that what plagues so many people in the Western world is material affluence. In most other places, problems arrive from people having too few choices, not too many. Perhaps income redistribution would make everyone better off.

All income will never be completely redistributed, so people are still going to be burdened with tough choices. I propose that we all look at this research and reconsider the way we spend. While we obviously occasionally will continue to spend money on goods we don’t necessarily need, next time we’ve saved up a decent amount of money and have time for a break, we shouldn’t be so quick to go to the mall and buy the new iPad. Think about things you’ve always wanted to do but never have. Check out kickboxing classes and hotels in the Alps, tickets to baseball games and charities that you’d like to help out. Self-doubt is a common feeling that we all experience. But chances are, when you’re at kickboxing class, you won’t wonder what’s going on at yoga, or if you finally took your dream vacation to the Alps, you won’t be wondering on how it would have been if you’d gone to Beijing. Money spent on these types of experiences, with the people you care most about, is money you won’t regret having spent.

Shaunak Varma is a Program and Research Intern with the SISGI Group. To learn more about the SISGI Group visit www.sisgigroup.org.

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Sep 29

Stopping the Global Practice of Child Marriage

This week I received an email about a program that was funded by USAID, the US federal government’s international development agency. I’ve read several in the past highlighting youth initiatives and other similar projects. What caught my attention about this one was the fact that it addressed controversial topics like child marriage.

The Youth Theater for Peace program in Tajikistan promotes conflict resolution in communities by using artistic methods to address taboo issues. Mediums like acting and theater are used to spark discussions among the youth. Then, they are responsible for taking back the information to their respective communities upon their return.

A perfect example of their success is the story of Faroiz Makhamova from Tajikistan in Central Asia. Here is an excerpt:

Last year, there were no girls enrolled past the 10th grade at Faroiz Makhamova’s high school in Chorku, Tajikistan. This year, there are 20. In Faroiz’s rural district, only 42 percent of girls continue their studies after the 9th grade. Many marry early and quit school to take on household responsibilities. Just a year ago, Faroiz, too, was preparing to get married. But when Faroiz was selected to take part in a summer camp held by the Youth Theater Peace program (YTP), she convinced her parents to delay her marriage until after the camp was over. Upon returning home, she insisted that her parents allow her to continue her studies and asked them to delay her marriage again until she could complete high school and then a university degree. Persuading her mother was easy, as she, too, had found it difficult to go through life without an education. Convincing her father was another story. “My father used to say it is a shame to let daughters go away to the capital city for school, says Faroiz. “But after I attended the camp, I can sit with my father and talk, which we hardly did before. We now discuss my participation in the performances and issues that we present. He has also become interested in my studies and achievements at school. I think he understands now that he made a good decision in letting me go to school and delaying my marriage.”

So, I decided to research this phenomenon of child brides and child marriages. I vaguely remembered some headlines, but never really fully delved into the issue. I was taken aback by some of the stories I read. For example, in Pakistan, a six-month-old baby was married to a twenty-five year-old man. In Yemen, Nujood Ali, a 10-year-old child bride, took her husband to court to obtain a divorce. What hit closer to home was that until 2008, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints practiced child marriage. As soon as the girls were ready to bear children, they were married to much older men.

This area seemed black and white to me. As a human rights advocate, I found the practice disheartening and unjust to young children, who are forced to grow up too quickly. As I continued reading, I found that there were many other valid reasons why child marriages should be banned. Health practitioners list premature deaths, stillbirth, cervical cancer and sexually transmitted diseases as consequences of girls marrying too young. Education specialists cite that early marriage impedes girls from continuing their education. The overall quality of life of these young children decreases the earlier they marry.

The largest numbers of child marriages occur in Southeast Asia, but governments and organizations throughout the world aim to stop the practice. Organizations like YTP mentioned above and the International Center for Research on Women are working to combat child marriage, but they need our help. Prevention and protection of these children are at the top of the agenda. To see ways to help stop this practice and the factors that cause it, please visit their website at the following link

Regina Bernadin is a doctoral student at Nova Southeastern University focusing on Conflict Analysis and Resolution.  As a SISGI intern, her primary areas of interest are conflict resolution, human rights and Latin American political, economic and socio-cultural issues. Her interest in the development of human rights abroad has taken her to several Latin American countries, including Colombia, Ecuador and Suriname.
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Sep 29

Is the Trafficking of Organs, Human Trafficking?

Imagine living in poverty. You are your household’s main breadwinner.  You are married and have four children who are all under the age of 18 and are depending on you to meet their most basic needs: shelter, food and clothing.  You have the opportunity to go to another country to work.  They will pay you in a week what you make in three months back home.  You say goodbye to your loved ones and get in a bus with five other men, who are also ready to make the journey.  When you arrive at your destination, you find that you’ve been tricked.  You are not there to work, but to give one of your kidneys to be sold to the highest bidder in the black market.  You don’t know exactly where you are; you are scared; and you need to bring money back home.  You don’t see a choice and undergo this risky and unwanted surgery.  You’ve been victimized, but are you a victim of human trafficking?

I recently met with international visitors from Latin America, who were sponsored by the U.S State Department to learn more on our anti-human trafficking initiatives. We had a very productive afternoon exchanging ideas and brainstorming on strategies for the future. Then came the inevitable question that when answered always brings a shake of the head and incredulous look: “What about the trafficking of organs? You’ve failed to mention how you deal with those situations.” Then, I have to explain that under U.S federal law, the trafficking of organs is not considered human trafficking.

The reason that people look at me in disbelief, is that most countries have developed anti-trafficking laws that mirror the United Nations protocols against modern day slavery.  The UN regulations are broader than those enacted by the United States and include the illegal harvesting and selling of organs as a form of human trafficking. U.S law is much narrower and defines human trafficking as a scenario that has to have two main components: restriction of movement and labor.

Does the story at the beginning show that this person was held and forced to work against their will? We definitely see the psychological restriction of movement in the fear that kept him from leaving.  However, do we see the labor?

This is a continuing point of contention between traditional anti-trafficking advocates and a new group of activists who are trying to create protections for those who are forced into selling their organs.  There is a group that argues that selling a body part does not constitute work; therefore, the labor component in current trafficking legislation is void.  Others state that a commercial transaction has taken place as these men and women were compensated for their body part.

So should organ trafficking be included in human trafficking legislation?

I have previously mentioned in past blogs that the reauthorization of the Trafficking Victim Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000 is coming up.  Past reauthorizations addressed the needs of previously unprotected populations.  These included American children who were initiated into the sex trade and in 2005, the plight of child soldiers was included. Now is the time that changes can be made. While some are advocating adding this issue to the list of areas that need to be addressed, others are talking about creating a completely separate law to tackle organ trafficking.

For example, a Florida Republican Congresswoman spoke of creating a comparable law to the TVPA to address trafficking in organs.  This law would assist victims, arrest and prosecute traffickers and aim to raise awareness against on the cause. But is that the answer? A parallel law would allow flexibility to address issues that solely pertain to this topic.  The law wouldn’t have to be molded to fit the existing trafficking statutes.  However, if added to the existing laws, organ trafficking victims would receive all the benefits of the existing law and the corresponding funding.

There are many items and areas of concern that need to be resolved. Stakeholders need to meet and discuss how to implement programs, allocate funding and mandate the enforcement of laws.  I do think though that first and foremost, we need to be able to answer to following question, is the trafficking of organs, human trafficking? Without that answer, nothing else matters.

Regina Bernadin is a doctoral student at Nova Southeastern University focusing on Conflict Analysis and Resolution.  As a SISGI Group intern, her primary areas of interest are conflict resolution, human rights and Latin American political, economic and socio-cultural issues. Her interest in the development of human rights abroad has taken her to several Latin American countries, including Colombia, Ecuador and Suriname.
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Sep 27

The Upcoming Elections in DRC, not looking good

On November 28th 2011 the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is set to hold their next Presidential elections, and despite having ten candidates vying for the position, current President Joseph Kabila is set firmly as the front-runner. Kabila has been in office since 2001 after his father Laurent-Désiré Kabila was assassinated. The platform that Kabila is running on is focused on returning the DRC to the industrial mining hub of Africa. By capitalizing on the immense wealth buried in the ground, Kabila believes that by attracting foreign businesses back towards the nation’s natural resources, he can help the country pull itself out of poverty.

Kabila is smart in appealing to those issues that are the easiest for the voters to understand. However, when a leader is not elected in a democratic way, history shows that coupled with the determination to extract natural resource wealth, the combination is not necessarily good for the state. I believe that the next President should be fundamentally focused on fiscal improvement and reform, but I do not see great progress for the lives of the Congolese citizens in the foreseeable future.

While this looks depressing and much of the history of the DRC seems to be so, I remain hopeful that some positive practices will develop from these elections. First, by keeping Kabila in power, the DRC will continue in a state of normalcy rather than what could potentially be a violent regime change (however this is not addressing the potential for a violent election). Although much of the DRC is continually enmeshed with sectarian guerrilla warfare and the national army has little power, maintaining the status quo may provide a continual trajectory on which to develop bureaucratic improvements; and at the very least foster more faith among citizenry in maintaining regular election cycles.  Ideally, I would like to see Kabila put forth a platform with more emphasis on domestic projects such as fostering infrastructure and agriculture, offering assistance to a greater number of impoverished people. Or, he could propose to be more productive in eradicating and controlling the prevalent guerrilla armies.

In fact, in pinning the nations development goals on natural resources, the world will potentially watch the DRC fall further into disharmony. In continuing the theme from my last post, the natural resource trap as discusses by Paul Collier plays a huge part in why some nations have not reached developmental potential. Studies have found that relying upon resource wealth will inevitably hinder both the development of democratic institutions as well as domestic wealth. Noting that Transparency International has ranked the DRC 164 out of 178 countries on levels of corruption in 2010 only goes to show that a tradition of dishonesty is already in place. Similarly, I would argue that the citizens would stand to gain nothing by “voting” Kabila into power because if he is successful in expanding the revenues gained from natural resources, he maintains no incentives to reinvest the money back into public goods. Currently 40% of the national income comes from foreign donors, and these often bear concessions necessitating how funds are spent. However, in the face of expanded development Kabila can afford to loose some foreign aid donations leading to even more freedom to allocate (or misuse) funds as he sees fit.

It is safe to assume that most current research and literature cannot even begin to account for the mines and resources the independent gorilla militias are controlling and exploiting as well.  These groups are rampant throughout the country and funding themselves by continually excavating and selling minerals on the black market to neighboring nations.  Through this access to natural resources, these militias will stay in power and the violence will continue as they work to take over what could develop into an ever-expanding mining industry.

In addition to the political setbacks that the platform will entail, a focus on only expanding the export sector will lead to neglect in developing other important economies such as agriculture and technological development. When a country relies upon a sole input for capital, market shocks will be devastating. One example of this was when the US implemented the 2010 Dodd-Frank Banking Act , and the DRI has saw international the demand for metals plummet.

While not intending to focus on institutional reform in this article, it can be assumed that expanding the mining sector is going to do little good for helping to alleviate poverty for a substantial number of DRC citizens. Although the country has had a turbulent history, I believe that they have the power under the right leaders and institutions to maximize their resources and reach towards their neighbors in becoming the economic powerhouse that Kabila is petitioning for.

–Katherine Peterson is a Program and Research Intern with the SISGI Group focused on theories of development, globalization, and political ramifications of development work.

 

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Sep 27

Retos agrícolas de Líbano

Líbano es un país relativamente rico en recursos naturales. No tiene desiertos, las tierras de cultivo son fértiles, tiene las cuatro estaciones del año y es el país árabe que tiene más agua. Pero a pesar de estos atributos naturales, Líbano es un país dependiente de las importaciones de alimentos, que representa 70% de su consumo total de alimentos. Aunque esto por sí solo no es un problema (ya que Líbano sólo tiene 350.000 hectáreas de tierra cultivable, cantidad insuficiente para alimentar al país de 4.4 millones de habitantes), los ingresos del sector de la agricultura podrían ser significativamente mayores.

Aproximadamente un tercio de la República es cultivable. Las zonas más fértiles se encuentran a lo largo de la franja costera y en el valle de la Bekaa. El valle de Bekaa es el granero histórico del país y el epicentro de la agricultura libanesa. Se encuentra entre las dos más importantes cadenas montañosas de Líbano: al oeste, Monte Líbano y en el este, frente a Siria, el Anti-Líbano (ver mapa). La diversidad topográfica y climática del país permite la plantación de una gran variedad de vegetales, frutas, granos y cereales.

A pesar de esta potencial agrícola, la economía de Líbano ?se basa principalmente en el sector bancario y financiero, y en la industria del turismo. Según la CIA, la agricultura representa el 5,1% del PIB total. No es una cifra significativa ni inesperada, ya que en los recientes años de  “reconstrucción”(que comenzó después de la guerra civil terminó en 1989) se le ha dado poca atención al sector. El sector recibe menos del 1% del presupuesto del Estado, y la inversión extranjera directa en el sector fue sólo del 1.8% del total. En cambio, el sector inmobiliario, el turismo y la industria, constituyen la gran parte de la inversión en el país. Esto es a pesar de la importancia que tiene la agricultura como uno de los principales empleos en las zonas rurales. Esta falta de interés en la agricultura incrementa el éxodo rural y la migración a las ciudades (ver caso de México).

A medida que el gobierno comienza a darse cuenta de la importancia del sector, también se está enfrentando a una gran dificultad que tendrá para su desarrollo: el cambio climático. En 2010, una temperatura elevada dio un cálido invierno y estableció un récord en el verano, lo que afectó gravemente al sector. En el valle de la Bekaa las temperaturas alcanzaron los 45 grados centígrados. El clima de alta también está aumentando las tasas de enfermedades y plagas que degradan los cultivos (ver un reporte científico aquí). Además, con el cambio climático se espera que se agote la capa de nieve en el Líbano en un 40 por ciento en 2040. La reducción de la capa de nieve afectarán los ríos y lagos, cambiando los ciclos naturales y por lo tanto dañando al sector agrícola.

Tras años de abandono, el Ministerio de Agricultura ha puesto en marcha una estrategia para mejorar el sector, a fin de abordar las amenazas del clima y mejorar la importancia del sector en la economía del Líbano. La estrategia se enfoca en cómo modernizar e industrializar a gran escala el sector agrícola. Ellos están buscando una nueva revolución verde en Líbano. Nuevas semillas se están trayendo, que sean más resistentes a condiciones climáticas diferentes. Simultáneamente, la agroindustria y las grandes inversiones se están promoviendo.

Esta modernización puede ser provechosa para algunos, pero peligrosa para otros. Un problema es que no hay supervisión fuerte de los programas de la parte del gobierno. Por ejemplo, un simple vendedor (guiado por incentivos económicos) puede ofrecer los fertilizantes y pesticidas a los agricultores. Sin embargo, hay poca o ninguna educación que se imparte a los campesinos.

La falta de supervisión crea un gran riesgo de traer consecuencias secundarias negativas o inesperadas. De hecho, sin la educación y la correcta supervisión de cómo los productos químicos se utilizan, el éxito del programa de modernización está en serio riesgo. Por un lado, los agricultores que utilizan productos químicos están sujetos a riesgos de salud graves. Por otro lado, el uso incorrecto de fertilizantes pueden degradar la tierra en un ritmo más rápido de lo habitual y, por ende, amenazan la sustentabilidad agrícola del Líbano.

En general, sospecho que parece haber una falta de interés y poca atención al campesino tradicional. Esta observación se hace aún más interesante y comprometedora cuando te das cuenta de que la gran parte de los agricultores del Líbano no son libaneses. Son típicamente sirios que migran al país o beduinos pobres que viven el día a día. ¿Hay menos preocupación por la salud y condición de vida de los trabajadores debido a su origen no libanés? Puede que sea el caso.

La agricultura en Líbano es importante no sólo para solucionar el cambio climático y mejorar las condiciones económicas, sino también para mantener la riqueza en recursos natural y para desalentar la migración a zonas urbanas, que sólo pone más presión sobre la infraestructura del país, que ya están sobrecargada. Hay un dicho en árabe: “Un campesino satisfecho es prácticamente un príncipe”. En el Líbano, esto sólo se hará realidad si el trabajo de los agricultores es debidamente considerado. Si el sector agroindustrial del Líbano crece tanto como el gobierno quiere que lo haga, se tendrá que apoyar también, y presten asistencia directa a los agricultores que viven y conocen el campo.

Julia Naime es Asistente a la Investigación y Programas del SISGI Group. Es estudiante de Economía en New York University. Durante su estancía en el SISGI Group, investigará sobre Desarollo rural, Problemas ambientales y Economía internacional 
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