Aug 03

A Plan for Dadaab Refugee Camp, Part IV

Yesterday, Ryan wrote the third post in our series discussing the current situation in Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya. He talked about the need for mental health care and social entrepreneurship services in Dadaab, as they crucial in enabling the refugees to eventually leave the camp and rebuild their lives. Both of these services, along with medical treatment and evaluation, providing food and water, and giving other kinds of aid and relief, should be part of a bigger, overall strategy established to efficiently and effectively accommodate, treat, and empower refugees at Dadaab camp.

This relates back to the nonprofit disconnect – something I’ve written a lot about this summer – which occurs when many nonprofits work independently to tackle a multi-dimensional problem. Organizations would be far more successful if they coordinated with each other and formed an overall strategy with individual plans for each nonprofit. At Dadaab Refugee Camp, the situation is similar – many different organizations working at Dadaab may seem like a great idea, and it is surely filled with good intention.  However, there may be many international governments, NGOs, and other aid organizations working to bring emergency relief for more than 400,000 refugees, but how can they be as efficient and effective as possible without coordinating with each other? If they’re not all working together, it can be an extremely disorganized operation, which leads to even greater suffering of the refugees.

But why does this happen? Why do good intentions sometimes fail to translate into good actions?

In a time of emergency – like the situation at Dadaab – it is all to easy to simply act by reacting rather than to act with a plan. Acting by reacting means that governments, NGOs, and other aid organizations immediately respond to emergencies by pleading for donations and spending them right away according to their own agenda. This is instead of truly analyzing the situation and creating a plan for their independent organization that fits into the overall strategy put forward by the entire team of organizations. Yes, this type of response may take a bit more time, effort, and strategy, but it would lead to a much more successful operation in Dadaab.

On the other hand, Dadaab is not a new camp, and many of the aid organizations have been working there for years. With hundreds of new refugees arriving everyday, I understand that the organizations have been presented with new challenges. However, after years of supplying aid and providing treatment, I really think they’ve had enough time to develop a coordination strategy with other organizations. The camp is run by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and after years of operation, they certainly could have established a plan with any other aid organizations that wanted to help their efforts.

Could it be that with each organization working toward their own agenda – and believing that their agenda is best – leads to an unwillingness to coordinate with another? In a recent post, Thenera discussed how collaboration often occurs when there is a particular benefit to the organization, like a financial or branding opportunity. Many organizations working at Dadaab may believe in the same cause – to help the refugees – but each also believes that their own method is the best way to achieve success. This hesitance to compromise alone can unfortunately prevent any type of coordination from happening.

Not only is there a disconnect among organizations in Dadaab, but also between camp Continue reading

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Aug 03

Responsibility to Protect and the Arab Spring

We all know that the no-fly zone and military action in Libya is ongoing, but what few people know is that the action was undertaken using the Responsibility to Protect doctrine and as such is fairly controversial.  The United Nations enacted Responsibility to Protect (RtoP or R2P) during the 2005 UN World Summit as a response to the inability to prevent genocide in Rwanda and Bosnia.  The commitment states that:

  1.  The State carries the primary responsibility for the protection of populations from genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.
  2. The international community has a responsibility to assist States in fulfilling this responsibility.
  3. The international community should use appropriate diplomatic, humanitarian and other peaceful means to protect populations from these crimes.  If a state fails to protect its populations or is in fact the perpetrator of crimes, the international community must be prepared to take stronger measures, including the collective use of force through the UN Security Council.

The mechanism for enacting RtoP is fairly complex, with the Security Council (China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US, plus 10 non-permanent members), UN Secretary-General, the General Assembly, and other international bodies all having the opportunity to act in the name of RtoP.  In Libya’s case, it was the Security Council that agreed that RtoP needed to be applied, though other international organizations like the Arab League, the African Union, and the Human Rights Council, all acted before the UN did.  It’s important to note that regional bodies are supposed to act first to resolve the issue, and only if they cannot is it referred to the Security Council, which prevents abuse of power.  Otherwise, the 5 permanent members would be sitting around dictating to everyone else.  Also, the methods used to apply RtoP vary from country to country.  In most cases diplomacy is the main tactic, with Libya being one of the few cases where the use of military force was considered necessary.

Gadhafi’s rhetoric was largely what red-flagged the country for RtoP application, and it is part of what distinguishes Libya from Syria and the rest of the Arab Spring countries.  In his speeches Gadhafi referred to the protesters as “cockroaches” and later “rats” and “vermin” who had to be eliminated.  To anyone who has seen Hotel Rwanda, these words should sound very familiar and very worrying… which is exactly what the UN and other regional organizations thought.  In Syria, on the other hand, the government has been much more careful about their phrasing, and so many regional organizations have not reacted to the violence in Syria in the same way they did to the violence in Libya.  Further, the Syrian government has more allies than the Libyan government, and those allies will oppose any military intervention in the country like the one in Libya.  Russia and China, permanent Security Council members, have already refused to back a resolution condemning Syria, and while the recent increases in violence might change their mind, it is unlikely there will ever be military intervention in Syria.

Another reason for military action in Libya is that force has a better chance of working Continue reading

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Aug 03

Free Contraception for All

World Breastfeeding Week was kicked off Monday with the passing of a historical extension of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), announced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the Obama Administration.  The guidelines of this heavily-debated policy expands on last year’s passed reforms in healthcare regarding free-of-charge preventative services such as mammograms and childhood immunizations.  The ACA will ensure that all women have free and accessible preventative health services, effective on or after August 1, 2012 for most.  The ultimate decision to pass these reformatory guidelines came from the recommendations released by the Institute of Medicine who completed a scientifically-based study looking at the gender-specific needs of women when it comes to their physical health.  As a result, the following full range of services will be offered to all women at no cost:

  • Well-woman visits; gynecological exams/pap-smears
  • Screening for gestational diabetes
  • Human Papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing for women 30 years and older
  • Sexually-transmitted disease (STD) counseling
  • Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) screening and counseling
  • FDA-approved contraception methods (i.e. birth control pills) and contraceptive counseling
  • Breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling
  • Domestic violence screening and counseling

In my own personal opinion, I am thrilled with these future changes in women’s healthcare services.  However, I cannot speak for everyone and respect the thoughts and concerns of all.  For this reason, I would like to discuss some of the pros and cons, as well as challenge both as fuel for thought.  I do realize that nothing is 100% perfect, especially when it comes to policy.

Evidence-based studies, like the one conducted by the Institute of Medicine, offer valuable insight into the real issues women face when it comes to their health.  In the past and even today, laws and policies around the world have often been drawn up and implemented coming primarily from a male perspective.  This can and has been damaging to women, particularly when it comes to policies affecting them directly.  For example, we see violations of the reproductive rights of women in many African countries—most recently and explicitly in the Horn of Africa where a famine has been declared.  With 3.7 million people going hungry and 12 million people in need of immediate aid, the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNPF) Executive Director Babatunde Osotimehin made a specific link between the lack of reproductive rights and family planning options in the region and the current crisis.  Research studies have confirmed similar findings, such as this one here.  Closer to home, the HHS confirms in their press release that prior to the study informing their decision to grant free access to women for preventative healthcare that “preventive services for women had been recommended one-by-one or as part of guidelines targeted at men as well.”  There was never a formal measure before that specifically targeted the unique preventative service needs of women throughout their lifespans and guiding legislation to accommodate those needs.

By addressing the specific needs of women and allowing for no-charge preventative Continue reading

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Aug 02

A Plan for Dadaab Refugee Camp – Part III

Money allocated for mental health services and social entrepreneurship support in Dadaab could help refugees build a future outside the camp

Last week, Rebecca posted the second entry of our series on the Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya. Much of her post focused on the monetary difficulties related to the camp. She explained how there is a funding shortage of approximately $800 million in relation to the drought and famine in the Horn of Africa. Towards the end of her post, she raised a very important question: Is the money that is available being put to the best possible use?

While it is obviously important to take care of basic needs like food, water and medical care, other services are needed in order to enable refugees to eventually leave the camp. I want to expand on mental health care, a service we’ve already mentioned, and social entrepreneurship, a service we have not yet discussed. These are two critical elements of a successful refugee camp that are not being given enough focus at Dadaab.

If you think about it for a minute and imagine the situations in which these refugees are arriving at Dadaab, it’s easy to understand why mental health is a large cause for concern. A 2003 study of Somali refugees in Uganda discovered that over 70% of those surveyed had witnessed dead or mutilated bodies and that just under 70% had experienced a shelling or bomb attack. While this study doesn’t directly apply to the Somali refugees currently at Dadaab, the fact that the violent situation in Somalia has only worsened since 2003 allows us to assume similar statistics for the refugees of 2011.

And then you must factor in the stressors of journeying from one’s homeland to a distant, massively overcrowded camp. Travelling refugees are easy targets for bandits, who may take the few provisions and possessions the refugees were travelling with. Some families, pregnant mothers and all, have walked for 30 days with hardly any nourishment. Upon arrival to the camp, they are greeted with incredibly long lines outside the camp (in my last post I mentioned how some are waiting 12 days just to start receiving food rations). That’s a 12-day wait on top of a 30-day journey – a month and a half of struggling just to stay alive.

As I said, it’s not hard to imagine where mental health issues are stemming from. Arduous situations as those that I described above can easily lead to post-traumatic stress disorder. In order to keep those suffering from post-traumatic stress from harming themselves or others, families will often chain together the hands of unstable family members. While this may hinder the damage an unstable person may do and offer a temporary fix, it is inhumane and not at all a solution. Fortunately, some limited counseling services are available. The hospital run by Doctors Without Borders in Dadaab allows for some patients to be seen by a small team of clinical psychologists. Similarly, a team of counselors from CARE International, an organization responsible for much of the aid given at Dadaab, offers counseling services to refugees. CARE has found that a number of refugees are reluctant to speak openly with their friends and relatives about their personal issues for fear of being stigmatized.

But these services are not reaching nearly enough of the 400,000+ residents of Dadaab. Isoe-Nyachieng, a psychologist with Doctors Without Borders, put it this way, “Mental Continue reading

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Aug 02

Heroic ‘Fin

Last Monday, after 3 months of labor disputes, the NFL lockout finally ended. Football nuts around the country (myself included) rejoiced. The threat of losing our favorite, most highly rated sport for an entire season was finally gone. We still have our best excuse to be unproductive on Sundays. Football is back, baby.

I am a typical fan. Every August, I am convinced that my beloved Detroit Lions, after years and years of breaking my heart and managing to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory year, will finally put the pieces together and go undefeated and beat every team we face by 40 points. This year is no different. Fueled by this (perhaps irrational) optimism, I have obsessively read every article about the NFL that I can. I have even spent more time than I’d like to admit on a Detroit Lions message board, tracking which free agents we’re attempting to sign and analyzing how this player can improve our team.

But when I visited the message board yesterday, hoping to find an article fawning at how well quarterback Matt Stafford played in his first practice at training camp or predicting a Lions playoff appearance, a thread with an atypical name caught my eye. It read “NFL star diagnosed with mental disorder.”

Given my interest in mental health, I was intrigued. I clicked on the thread. I was led to Omar Kelly’s article “Brandon Marshal Diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder,” which was published in the Sun Sentinel. With so many other stories in the NFL taking place over the past week, I’m worried that this one might slip through the cracks and be missed, even by the biggest sports fans. Thus, I’d like to spend the rest of this post telling you about the story and giving you my take on it.

For those of you who don’t know, Brandon Marshall has had a very successful, albeit tumultuous, career. A two-time Pro Bowler, Marshall has overcome his unflattering status as a former 4th round draft pick and exceeded expectations to establish himself as one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. He has recorded over 100 receptions in three consecutive seasons, a feat that only four other players have accomplished in NFL history. Frustrated that the Denver Broncos wouldn’t restructure his contract and pay him more money after two phenomenal seasons, Marshall once demanded to be traded and infamously showed his discontent by purposefully batting balls thrown toward him at practice. Marshall’s issues have extended beyond the football field. He has been arrested multiple times for various reasons. He hit rock bottom this past April, when following an argument with his wife, he was stabbed in the stomach.

Following an outburst at a team meeting, Marshall realized he might need some help. He went to Boston’s McLean Hospital to seek treatment was diagnosed for BPD. Though not said explicitly in the article I read, the author suggested that Marshall has been undergoing Dr. Linehan’s Dialetical Behavior Therapy by stating that Marshall was discovering things such as “mindfulness, radical acceptance, and distress tolerance.” After going through months of what I presume was DBT, Marshall has finally “learned to defuse the bomb inside of his head” and has gained the skills needed to “survive, if not thrive.” This therapy will ultimately help him be a better teammate, husband, and person.

But Marshall is not just satisfied with receiving treatment and improving. He has seen the diagnosis of his illness as an opportunity to spread awareness about BPD. In my last article, I mentioned that people coming forward with psychological disorders can help give others hope. Marshall offered perhaps even more tangible benefits of people being honest about their illness, benefits that are particularly significant when the person coming forward is a celebrity. Marshall realized that though he has been able to reap the benefits of DBT, most people with BPD cannot afford the $60,000 cost of his treatment program. Thus, he is advocating better medical coverage. He’d also like to see more funding go into advancing BPD research and treatment. Finally he wants there to be more screening for BPD, so people can be aware of their problems and find treatment.

Marshall is taking advantage of his fame to help bring these issues to light. He is being honest about his illness with the media and Continue reading

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Aug 01

Building Back Better in Pakistan

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the opportunity and need for Haiti to redevelop sustainably after the devastating earthquake in 2010. I also discussed how construction in Bihar, India – after a flood completely washed away the area – could be a model for rebuilding homes in Haiti. Unfortunately, like Haiti and India, Pakistan also suffered from a natural disaster in 2010. In July, monsoon rains hit the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Balochistan, and Punjab regions in Pakistan and affected over 20 million people. Hundreds of homes and buildings were destroyed, structural damage was estimated to be $4 billion, and about 2,000 people died in the flood. Needless to say, it was devastating, and rebuilding the area would certainly be challenging.

However, architects and engineers from the Heritage Foundation (HF), a nonprofit that works to preserve the environment and culture of Pakistan, seized the opportunity to rebuild the affected areas of Pakistan in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way. Hundreds of homes needed to be rebuilt. Instead of using the traditional materials and methods of using steel and cement, though, HF used local materials that are actually stronger and more readily available. They’re also environmentally friendly. The secret ingredients? Local stone, bamboo, mud, and lime.

It may sound like an interesting combination, but it’s an innovative strategy that works. The stone is used in the foundation of the house, and the bamboo is used to make the walls strong and sturdy. Bamboo also grows incredibly fast, making it a very sustainable choice. The mud and lime are surprisingly excellent insulators, and all together, a house can be built to last more than 20 years. Even if there are future floods – which are now projected because of increasing temperatures and climate change – these homes are expected to remain intact. Additionally, with the teamwork of just eight people, these green, structurally sound homes take only eight days to build. With commitment from the community, proper training, and enough dedication, the once-overwhelming task of redeveloping flood-affected areas becomes much more attainable.

The best part? These houses are much bigger and cleaner than those that were swept away by the flood. They had bigger kitchens and an attached toilet, which were two relative luxuries. I think it’s safe to say that these areas of Pakistan are not just rebuilding after the flood, but building back better and smarter than it was before.

Constructing these homes using local materials and the workforce has also stimulated the local economies. Different parts of the houses – like roof panels, for example – are supplied by different neighborhoods that were affected by the flood. The community truly works together to rebuild the area, and everyone benefits. These homes are an inspiration – not only is it possible to recover from a natural disaster, but it’s also possible to rebuild sustainably and in an environmentally friendly way. Additionally, these houses are stronger, cleaner, and sturdier than the houses were before the floods. Pakistan’s redevelopment plan, along with the plan in Bihar, can serve as a valuable model for countries like Haiti, which is still struggling to rebuild. The focus on strategy, sustainability, and involvement of the local community proves to be an extremely effective method of redevelopment.

This model can actually be applied to pretty much any type of new development. Sustainability is key. In today’s world, developing sustainably means utilizing readily available resources, using clean energy, and building structures that can withstand natural disasters and severe weather. This obviously takes innovation and great strategy, but it’s truly the only way we can build to last.

Rebecca Birnbaum is a Program and Research Intern for the SISGI Group focusing on nonviolent conflict resolution, nonprofit management, and sustainable development. She is a senior at the University of Michigan, where she studies Anthropology, Political Science, and Peace and Social Justice. To learn more about the SISGI Group, visit www.sisgigroup.org.

 

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Aug 01

Is a Bachelor’s Degree Not Enough?

This post is the first I have written from a very personal perspective.  Of course, every post that I write is dear to me and written with my own beliefs in mind, but thus far I have not had direct experience with the topics I have brought to people’s attention.  However, as an undergraduate student, I will be finishing my bachelor’s degree this upcoming May, and have decided to continue on with my education.  My decision comes not only because I truly enjoy learning, but I am coming to realize that a bachelor’s degree is simply not enough in this current job market.  Unfortunately, I am not alone in feeling that the current job market is looking rather bleak.  The SISGI Group’s 2011 APYD Needs Assessment also showed that a majority of 18-25 year olds who answered the survey feel underemployment is the most pressing issue for their age group.  Other issues, like violence and substance abuse, simply did not have the same amount of hype.

A recent New York Times article highlighted the fact that more and more students with bachelor’s degrees are enrolling in master’s programs than in previous years.  In 2009, more than 657,000 people graduated with a master’s degree; double the amount of people awarded with a master’s diploma in the 1980s.  A possible reason behind this pursuit for higher education is the fact that a myriad of recent undergraduates have said that landing a job has become a major difficulty.  A myriad of job applications now say: bachelor’s degree necessary but master’s degree preferred.  Such statements are indicators that in this competitive economy, employers are looking to hire individuals who have a higher level of education than just a bachelor’s degree.

So what exactly has happened to the value of a bachelor’s degree?  According to Richard K. Vedder, an economics professor at Ohio University, the value of a basic college degree is decreasing on an almost yearly basis.  Colleges are churning out too many job-searching graduates for the current market to handle, and this almost negates the value of a bachelor’s degree.  In other words, there are so many graduates with similar degrees getting out of school at the same time that potential employers look for people who are different or have something else to offer.  Though it used to be that mostly people in the sciences or mathematic fields needed a master’s degree for a job position, a plethora of fields in the humanities have also created their own master’s programs.  This trend shows that the current job climate is affecting almost every available occupation field.

 

Unfortunately, the current surge for a master’s degree is not the ideal situation for many undergraduate students.  After racking up loans in order to attain a bachelor’s degree, many students find it difficult to pay for post-graduate studies.  Furthermore, since many jobs also ask potential employees to have previous experience in the work field, students are still finding it difficult to obtain employment.  After finishing their bachelor’s degree, and jumping right into a master’s program, students have little time to gain hands-on experience in the real world.  Though students may be entering the work force with have a higher level of education, they are still inexperienced.  Thus, with the bleak economy and lack of jobs, undergraduate as well as master’s students are worried about their future after graduating from school.

 

As a current undergraduate student, who will be graduating fairly soon, I am worried about my own occupational future.  Of course, I am hoping that a master’s or other graduate school degree will secure my position in the job market.  However, it would be nice to see the government getting involved in helping students with their education and job opportunities.  If the forecast for the economy continues to be bleak, the least the government could do is decrease the cost of higher education tuition fees.  However, seeing as how the debt ceiling continues to be a major concern for America and public education is suffering from major budget cuts, there may be little hope for lower tuition costs or more scholarships.  Until then, people will continue pursuing their master’s degrees, and a bachelor’s degree may become the new high school diploma.

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Aug 01

Sandals Steps Up?

I have never understood the appeal of Sandals Resorts.  I’ve never been to one, so I can’t say for sure that my opinion is valid, but from the commercials they run it looks like all of the resorts are pretty much the same and are all the kind of all-inclusive, never-have-to-leave-the-resort facilities which never appealed to me.  When I went to the Bahamas I wanted to feel like I was actually in the Bahamas, I wanted to explore the islands and go to different beaches and restaurants, not to stay within the bounds of one resort for a week.  It’s not that the Sandals resorts aren’t nice, I’m sure they are, but they simply aren’t my style.

Earlier today, however, I was checking my Twitter feed and noticed that TIES (The International Ecotourism Society) had posted an article about Sandals Resorts that may lead me to reconsider my position caught my eye: “#Sandals unveils new eco-strategy “Earthguard” which reduces their footprint and increases benefits to host communities.” Apparently, Sandals paired with EarthCheck, a tourism benchmark and certification program that pairs with companies and governments to help increase sustainable and responsible tourism, to launch Earthguard, a new environmental management program.  This is not a new partnership, but rather a strengthening of the existing relationship between Sandals and EarthCheck.  This new program, Earthguard, will hopefully reduce the company’s environmental footprint while increasing the economic benefits to the host communities, thus making Sandals resorts more sustainable and responsible.  The new program will also be transparent, an important step for any organization hoping to be more environmentally and economically responsible.  Third-party auditors will come in regularly to ensure that natural resource consumption and waste are kept to a minimum, sustainable building techniques are implemented, and local community projects sponsored by the company are effective.

But will the program as a whole be effective?  Sandals is an all-inclusive resort, and as such true responsibility and sustainability is close to impossible.  As I mentioned earlier, guests at these mega-resorts have almost no reason to ever leave the resort property, which not only cuts down on the experience of the trip but keeps the money tourists spend out of the local community.  Why go out into the town for dinner or even hire a taxi to go to a local shop to buy souvenirs when all that is already on the property-and in some cases already paid for? All-inclusive resorts cater to the Western tourist, and so items like the soap, sheets, alcohol, and food tend to be imported rather than purchased within the local community—again, hurting the local economy.  The resorts can sponsor local community projects, but if the tourist dollars the resort earns remain mostly out of the local economy than the projects won’t be terribly helpful.  In the same vein, resorts can cut down on their environmental footprint and waste, but as long as they do not increase their economic footprint the tourism is not truly responsible or sustainable.

So I guess I won’t be changing my original position.  It’s always good to see organizations take a step towards responsible tourism, but as far as steps go, this was a pretty small one.  In fact, there probably isn’t a step a resort like Sandals can take that would be big enough to really make a difference.  This move was probably more of an attempt to increase business by promoting eco awareness, which is so trendy these days.  I’m not saying that it was bad for Sandals to have created EarthGuard, but simply that it will not be enough for the resort to meet its stated goal of responsible and sustainable tourism.  It will never be enough unless the resort is able to create opportunities for the local community and to circulate money into the local economy.

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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Jul 29

Women in War and Peace

“For it isn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it.” –Eleanor Roosevelt

It is more dangerous in most conflict-stricken areas to be a woman than to be a soldier.  Yet, women’s experiences during times of war are often ignored or minimized.  Due to gender roles, norms, culture and customs that often contribute to the perception of women as second-class citizens in society, they are often used as weapons of war.  Women endure unimaginable pain at the hands of those seeking to demoralize, shame, and terrorize the opposing side.  Sexual violence, displacement and neglect are harsh realities in times of war that increase conflict, contribute to continued insecurity, and has devastating short-term and long-term (and often inter-generational) effects emotionally, economically, socially, culturally, and physically on the women who are directly harmed, as well as their families and communities at large.  I have long been interested in the complexity of women’s roles in war and peace, and with PBS’ upcoming series titled Women, War & Peace regarding the topic, I felt compelled to write about it and offer some suggestions regarding the breakdown of traditional gender norms and inclusion of women in negotiations to bring about sustainable peace.

Rape is so widely used and embraced during armed conflict that it has been deemed an intentional military strategy rather than a by-product.  In the current armed conflict occurring in Libya, for example, it has been speculated that Gadhafi’s troops are not only raping women, but using Viagra to aid in their militaristic tactic.  To give you an idea of the pervasive nature of sexual assaults on women during times of war, here are a few statistics:

  • 250,000-500,000 estimated rapes during Rwandan genocide (1994)
  • 20,000-50,000 estimated rapes during Bosnia- Herzegovina war (early 1990’s)
  • 50,000-64,000 estimated sexual assaults on displaced women in Sierra Leone
  • Over 400,000 estimated rapes in the Democratic Republic of Congo between 2006-2007
  • 60-90% of the female population was raped during the 14-year long civil war in Liberia, including children and babies (1989-2003)

Given these staggering statistics, what can be done?  There is no straightforward or universal answer.  However, since violence against women is often viewed as acceptable and rewarding in some circumstances as evidenced above, there needs to be a restructuring in the ways women are understood and valued while being respectful of cultural implications.  It is apparent that traditional gender roles get in the way of women’s advancement in society.  As feminists would describe, there is a system of patriarchy that exists, perpetuating institutionalized violence and the devaluation of women.  Not only do women need to be educated and empowered, but men do as well.  Women and men alike need to understand the value of each other, the value of humanity, and the joint contributions needed to create sustainable peace.

With the negative effects of war heavily falling on women’s shoulders, it boggles my mind why they are so underrepresented in peacemaking initiatives.  UN Women reports that less than 3% of peace agreement signatories are women, acting as mediators only on provisional bases.  While significant strides have been taken to Continue reading

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Jul 29

Disability-Friendly Budget Cuts

Currently, the debt ceiling and potential budget cuts for 2012 are arguably the most debated topics in U.S. politics. Other contributors to this blog have already discussed in detail the consequences that budget cuts could have on children’s schooling, academic research and education, and foreign aid.  Shaunak, a fellow Program and Research intern with the SISGI group, pointed out in “Invest in the Future”, that cutting spending on social programs is not a popular move among politicians, as it jeopardizes their chances of garnering support from their constituents. Yet, with the quickly approaching debt ceiling debate deadline on August 2nd, many groups who benefit from Social Security, Medicaid, or Medicare are growing concerned that funds will be reduced for those who need them the most, including the elderly and persons with disabilities (PWDs). In the long-run, the issue is not only whether a bipartisan consensus can be reached that retains the social safety net and establishes a fiscally responsible budget, but also whether these changes will remain stable for our generation and the future.

Recognizing the needs of more than 50 million Americans with disabilities, the Obama administration has made a commitment to expanding employment opportunities, increase educational opportunities, strengthen health care, promote civil rights and access to community living, support the use of assistive technology, and support international disability rights. One of the questions that divide Democrats and Republicans in the budget debate is not whether those who need financial support and health care deserve to receive them, but how best to ensure that funds are distributed efficiently.

Most people lump social security and other public social programs together, thereby missing the important functions of each. When it comes to the needs of PWDs, distinctions need to be made between social security disability insurance benefits, social security income, Medicare, and Medicaid.  Social security disability insurance (SSDI) is reserved for those individuals who have worked in the past and paid social security taxes, but have acquired a disability for which they cannot return to their jobs. Social security income (SSI), however, is money that is available for PWDs as a supplement based on financial need.  Medicare is health insurance provided for people who are 65 and older, and those under 65 who experience certain disabilities. Medicaid is health insurance provided to eligible low-income families or persons with certain disabilities.

When we talk about cutting back government spending on social programs, we should realize that cutting back on SSDI is very different from cutting back on SSI. Fiscally Continue reading

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