Jun 14

Jamaica’s Ruined Economy

In a world that is run by various forms of financing and spending, countries are continuously dependent on institutions that provide for their ability to develop.  And in a reality where even highly developed countries like the US, UK, and Germany are millions of dollars in debt, is it really surprising that developing countries are even more heavily dependent on institutions that offer loans?

Finances and development are quite complicated, however.  Talking taxes, interest, and other money related matters are confusing to you and me as everyday citizens.  So we sit back and let governments and the institutions with the fancy names – like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank – handle the finances.  But…Money runs the world!  I’ve (unfortunately) learned that you can rarely talk about anything these days without having the conversation return to how money works (or doesn’t work in some cases).

While richer countries are able to continue functioning even in the throes of high debt, developing countries like Jamaica lack the GDP (gross domestic product) and infrastructure to sustain themselves.  Infrastructure sounds like such an overwhelming word, but it’s actually a surprisingly basic concept that may be the most important thing to focus on in developing countries.  For Jamaica to make good use of its loans, it needs the basic necessities of any stable society.  In other words, infrastructure encompasses building schools to educate the people, roads and transportation, and hospitals.  So in theory, monetary institutions like the IMF and World Bank thus operate to provide loans to spur economic growth.  Since the 1960s, Jamaica has been relying on funds from the IMF and World Bank in hopes that education, health and jobs will increase, and poverty will be eradicated.  However, as we have previously seen from Julia’s post on eradicating illicit crops, it is apparent that noble causes do not always yield positive effects. Without sufficient investment in infrastructure, a future of self-sufficiency cannot exist.

Throughout the history of IMF and World Bank policies in Jamaica, there have been situations like the heart-wrenching stories of local farmers pouring out gallons upon gallons of fresh milk from their dairy farms as a result of “development” projects.  Powdered milk is subsidized and much cheaper than fresh, locally produced milk.  These dairy farmers now have no way of supporting themselves and are forced to shut down.  This wreaks havoc on the economy and creates more instability, for Jamaican farmers have no way of competing with the cheap products that are being imported daily.  Acres of banana trees fester with fruit that cannot be sold because the liberalization standards of these financial institutions enforce mandatory free trade policies, propounding the notion that free trade will inevitably bring prosperity.  Unfortunately, Jamaicans are feeling anything but prosperous these days.  They can do little to combat these adverse effects, for if Jamaica does not adhere to the terms laid out by monetary institutions, then they will cease to receive still much needed funding.  In actuality, these economic conditions are destructive towards agricultural development, which is sad given Jamaica’s naturally rich and diverse agricultural background.

The lack of country-specific policies has hindered the stabilization of economies, and has rendered the IMF sometimes ineffective at the realization of its own goals.  Many monetary policies seek only to correct problems for the short run and do not create comprehensive enough programs that take long-term issues into consideration.  What we are witnessing is a tendency towards “one size fits all” economic policies, which is no way to effectively create change and positive development.  These policies were initially created to decrease instability and foster growth, but this has not happened.  Instead Jamaica has fallen into nearly 40 years of tumultuousness.

Unrealistic goals of monetary institutions are often complicated by the lack of knowledge of socio-cultural factors that may impact project success; we cannot simply expect that free trade will automatically bring success.  So what can be done to combat this?  While free markets have benefited some developing countries in the past, diversity of individual countries must be addressed.  Jamaica is a prime example of a country that does not have the existing infrastructure or social structure to support such drastic change.  I would love to see the coupling of fewer liberalization measures with some trade protections still in place.  For example, if powdered milk ceased being imported to Jamaica, many local dairy farms would reopen for business and provide a fresh start in self-sufficiency and the job market.  As I mentioned before, holding a “one size fits all” attitude wouldn’t be very beneficial to the people of Jamaica.

A great eye-opening documentary on the adverse effects of IMF and World Bank economic aid in Jamaica can be seen in Life and Debt.  The dangers of having too strong a focus only on the economy are highlighted, and we witness how strict and inflexible standards can end up displacing local efforts toward what could have been self-sufficiency.

 

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Jun 14

Inside the Coal Industry, Part 1

The case of the eastern Kentucky’s Appalachia Mountains

Last week I was part of a delegation to Kentucky with Witness for Peace (to learn more about the organization click here). Its goal was to learn about coal extraction and its impacts on the communities and the environment of Eastern Kentucky. During the three-day trip, I was able to get a glimpse of the complicated problem involving energy in general and the coal industry in particular.

I left New York City excited and ready to learn. I returned confused and kind of overwhelmed by the complexity of the problem that the community, and all of us, face trying to become a greener, cleaner economy.

I consider myself to be an environmentalist, and I do not support further development of the coal industry. Nevertheless, this delegation helped me become aware of both sides of the story, that of the “tree huggers” as well as of the people who support the

Lynch, Kentucky

industry. We settled in the dense forest of the Appalachian Mountains, near the charming towns of Lynch and Benham, in Harlam County.

The coal industry has been the only form of economic development in this area. Entire towns of eastern Kentucky were built in the early century for the purpose of providing shelter to the miners. Lynch and Benham are not the exception. Lynch was built by the U.S. Coal & Coke Company (subsidiary of U.S. Steel) in 1917. Back in the days, it was the largest coal camp in the world (see image). For years, the company provided shelter, food, education and health services to the community.

The industry’s presence is still paramount. The coal industry is the main source of employment in the area. It has become a “mono-economy”, based solely on coal. Therefore, it is common to see cars with stickers and license plates that read “friends of coal”. Coal is part of the region’s way of life, pride, and culture.

Nevertheless, the coal community has been having strong opposition from “outsiders” as well as, and most importantly, from people of the region. Because of a recent and fairly modern form of mining, mountain top removal (for more information and illustrations see http://mountainjustice.org/facts/steps.php), the damages to the environment have increased significantly and more and more of people’s homes are being damaged by the extraction. But coal companies have largely benefited from this. Continue reading

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Jun 14

Time to Legalize?

The Bureau of Justice Statistics recently published a report that documented the inmate population in the United States. The report showed that in 2002, 24.7% of the prison population was sentenced for drug offenses, including nearly 11% of whom have been imprisoned for possession. Drug abuse is a huge problem in the United States. This problem is especially prevalent among the youth, as 46% of Americans between 18 and 21 claimed to have taken drugs. According to this site, 19,000 people die from drug addiction, and another 9,000 people die from drug-induced causes within a calender year. With such prevalent death and addiction from drugs, should we begin to question whether or not our current policies are effective in counteracting drug trade and drug addiction in America?

As someone who believes the government should not be able to interfere and morally police the public, I find it difficult to agree that things such as drugs should be made illegal on moral grounds. In my opinion, no laws should be made on these grounds. Laws and policies should be based on what benefits society. For the criminalization of all drugs, there should be significant evidence that suggests that they should be illegal.

I am not a proponent of legalizing all drug trade. I think such a policy would be naïve and rash. However, strict criminalization of all drug trade leads to many problems. First of all, prohibition of certain drugs can breed contentment among the youth. For example, 24% of Americans between 18 to 25 have experimented with marijuana. If such a substantial amount of people are taking the drug currently, the policy is likely not good at deterring people from trying the drug; rather, it is bringing about a culture of disrespect for the law. Connecticut recently made steps to overcome this discontent and save government money when they became the 9th state to decriminalize marijuana. Contrary to what you may expect, these states that have decriminalized marijuana are among the states with lowest marijuana usage rate.

This data suggests that rather than reducing drug usage, the criminalization laws in most states are merely costing the state and federal government a lot of money for no reason. If the resources that go into criminalizing this drug go into drug prevention programs or fighting other types of crime, it would likely be better spent.

A third problem with the criminalization of certain drugs is that it allows for gangs to be able to fund themselves. I recently read a book by Sudhir Venkatesh, a Professor of Sociology at Columbia, titled Gang Leader for a Day. In the book, Venkatesh documents his life over a five-year period within a gang in Chicago. It is clear from his accounts that a lot of the crime in the inner-city is a result of drug trade, as a lot of violence results from multiple gangs jockeying for the rights to the drug market in certain communities. Such gang warfare can be avoided if the government legalizes drugs that it considers “lower-risk” drugs. Thus, the government will be able to generate tax revenue by controlling and selling the drugs rather than having to spend money prosecuting those buying and selling the drugs. With less kinds of drugs to sell, gangs will become less prominent, as people will seek different opportunities to generate revenue.

Finally, in my opinion, drugs that are “high-risk” drugs should remain illegal. However, the government should decriminalize the drugs among those who possess it. Thus, they would be more likely to seek out medical help if their health is in immediate danger, or clinical help to help them overcome their addiction.

I have not categorized drugs as to whether I think they fall into “low-risk” drugs or “high-risk” drugs. This is a task that I am not qualified to complete. However, I think that a governmental body could definitely look at existing data and make these distinctions. By splitting these drugs to these two categories and either legalize or decriminalize them, they can increase compliance with other laws, save money, decrease gang violence, and increase the amount of help that addicts seek.

Shaunak Varma is a Program and Research Intern with the SISGI Group focusing on mental health. To learn more about the SISGI Group visit www.sisgigroup.org.
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Jun 13

Nurture Changing Nature – Power and Responsibility

I was so happy at 2:30 PM on Monday afternoon. I had stayed up until 3 AM the night before watching pointless youtube videos and had been exhausted all morning. The lab for my Molecular Biology course is scheduled to get out at 4 PM on Mondays, but today’s lab was short. I had completed the procedure and was ready to go home and take a nap. You could imagine my dismay, then, when my TA announced that instead of going home early, we were going to watch “The Ghost in Your Genes,” a “science-ey” documentary about gene expression. We all grumbled and sat back in our chairs as our TA turned the lights off and put the movie on. I worried that I was going to have difficulty staying awake during the documentary. This could not have been farther from the truth.

From the beginning of the film, I was absolutely enthralled. The documentary discussed the emerging field of Epigenetics – the “study of heritable changes in phenotype (appearance) or gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence.” Based on their environment, some genes within the genetic code of an individual are expressed, whereas others are suppressed. According to epigeneticists, organisms can inherit behavioral traits of their parents. In layman’s terms, epigenetics is the study of how genes have memories.

We have known for a while that we all have genes that we do not express for various environmental factors. For example, as discussed in the documentary, offspring who receive love and care from their parents at a young age express genes that make them capable of reacting well when put in stressful situations. However, the traditional belief has been that as long as a person still has these genes, he can pass them off to his offspring, even if they were not expressed during his lifetime. Expounding upon my first example, just because people did not receive enough love and affection as a child and now do not express certain genes, they can still pass these genes on to their children.

The interesting part of the documentary was that it contradicted a widely held belief that people do not inherit their parents’ traits just because of environmental factors in the parents’ lifetimes. Research suggests that the environmental impact on genes is transgenerational. For example, an epidemiologist and geneticist collaborated to discover that the grandchildren of Swedish grandparents born during a famine were less likely to have diabetes than grandchildren of grandparents who were born when there was no famine. It seems as if these grandchildren inherited certain genes based on the environment of the grandfather.

You may be wondering why I am rambling on and on about molecular biology on a blog post that is supposed to be geared towards addressing mental health concerns. I think that a lot of the information in the documentary is actually very relevant to how we address certain mental health issues. It suggests that a parent’s nurturing can not only affect the nature of a child but also change the child’s and all subsequent generation’s nature. By treating our bodies poorly or by treating our children poorly, we can mess up some of their genes and some of their children’s genes.

This data suggests that there is huge weight on our shoulders. As Uncle Ben incessantly reminded Spiderman, “with great power comes great responsibility.” People often face depression as a result of childhood stress. If parents do not relieve some of this stress, or in some cases, even add to it, a whole generation could theoretically have a disproportionate risk of many neuropsychiatric conditions (such as depression) or even physical conditions (such as diabetes). The responsibility that comes with becoming a parent is already huge. The ability to negatively change the gene pool heightens this responsibility. These responsibilities suggest that people should only become parents if they want to take on this burden.

Armed with this new knowledge, parents must be careful when they decide to have a child. They must realize that the implications of such a decision are far-reaching. Their rearing of a child will not only effect the child’s life but also the lives of future generations.

This documentary reminds us of something we already know. We should take care of ourselves. By making good decisions in regards to our own health, we will be better off, and our family members and friends will be enthralled. These new findings suggest that how we treat ourselves can affect how well off our children are, and how we treat our children can affect our lineage. Remember your power and remember your responsibility.

Shaunak Varma is a Program and Research Intern with the SISGI Group focusing on mental health. To learn more about the SISGI Group visit www.sisgigroup.org.
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Jun 13

People Comprehension Part III

Last week, I talked about some possible exercises that could be administered in elementary schools that would allow children to develop people comprehension skills. While I certainly think it’s extremely important to begin learning and practicing these skills at a young age, I think it’s perhaps even more important to continue developing these skills as the child grows older. Of course, the exercises that are appropriate for young children in elementary school are no longer useful as they grow into their adolescent years. So what happens after children “master” the elementary school people comprehension skills and go onto middle and junior high school?

First of all, it’s important to acknowledge that parents and other caregivers – whether intentionally or unintentionally – pass a certain bias to their children. This is neither good nor bad, but rather simply a factor in how children develop their own values, beliefs, and opinions. It’s therefore important to take children out of that biased environment and allow them to explore different questions and ideas in a safe space – like a classroom. That way, they can be challenged by the perspectives of their peers and better understand different opinions.

Like the elementary school program, “people comprehension class” doesn’t have to be an everyday subject like math and science – just once or twice per week would be sufficient. Groups of 10-20 students would sit in a circle and practice certain exercises that would allow them to understand their peer’s perspective. An adult – such as a teacher or school guidance counselor – would be present, but ideally they wouldn’t say much. Instead, they would simply initiate the discussion and let the students take it from there.

The first type of exercise is similar to the second exercise that I discussed last week. Students are given a prompt with a scenario written on it, and they analyze the two Continue reading

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Jun 13

California: An Eco-Friendly Photo Essay, Part 1

I recently returned from a 6-day trip to California (you may remember my preparations) that turned out to be surprisingly eco-friendly, and so I thought I would deviate from the traditional blog post today to do a sort of photo-essay.  Hopefully this will help drive home the point that no matter where you are going or what your budget, you can find ways to be eco-friendly.  And of course not everything you do is going to be environmentally sound, but whatever you can do that is eco-friendly is a good start.

Cable Car SafetyUse local and/or mass transportation when possible

Take the metro (or, in San Francisco, the BART), take a bus, take a trolley, even take a taxi!  Taking mass transit reduces your carbon footprint, and using local transportation instead of a rental car helps to ensure your tourist dollars stay in the area.  The San Francisco cable cars, for example, are almost exclusively patronized by tourists, and since they are part of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency the tourist revenue goes to the city.  This cable car system is also the world’s last manually operated cable car system, and it has been in use since 1873; it is historic, as well as carbon-footprint reducing.  Unfortunately, the cable cars were not operating the day we were in the city, and we couldn’t figure out why—or even get a picture of one, hence the picture of the cable car safety tips (which we did find pretty entertaining).

Ben&Jerry's Haight-AshburyEat local and organic whenever possible.

Ben & Jerry’s was one of the first chains to popularize “all-natural” foods (though there has been a bit of controversy over whether or not their products can truly be labeled “all-natural,” but that’s a conversation for another day), and continues to be involved in environmental movements.  The company has launched protests against Arctic oil drilling, for example, as well as the use of products from cloned animals.  Of course, in a place like California it’s not hard to find restaurants that are much better examples of eco-friendly dining than Ben & Jerry’s—I just didn’t take any pictures of them.  Most of the restaurants we ate at during our 6-day stay used locally grown/farmed ingredients, and they were delicious!  Mustard’s Grill in Napa, for example, gets 20% of its produce from its 2-acre organic garden, and my steak at Pearl Restaurant came from the nearby Five Dot Ranch, which provides hormone-free beef to much of the area.  Taylor's RefresherGott’s Roadside (formerly Taylor’s Refresher) is a local institution that gets its beef from another local ranch that provides vegetarian-fed beef with no added antibiotics or growth hormones, and the chicken is also locally grown, free range, and vegetarian-fed.  California may be exceptional in the number and variety of restaurants committed to using sustainable farming and organic products, but I’m certain that no matter where you go you can find at least one restaurant that uses locally grown ingredients or hormone-free meats—even if it’s Ben & Jerry’s.

GrapevineWhen looking at grapevines you might be tempted to think of the massive amount of water necessary to sustain them.  There are well over 400 vineyards in Napa Valley alone, each with acres and acres of grapes, so surely a colossal amount of water must be used every day, especially in a state as dry as California, right?  Wrong.  We were surprised to learn that most vineyards practice dry harvesting, which requires no water besides rainfall.  Dry harvesting produces a much more flavorful grape, which in turn produces a more flavorful and complex vintage.  Watery grapes, like the kind you buy at the store, are produced when the vines are watered, and they do not make good wine.  So, wine-making turned out to be much more eco-friendly than we thought, even when the grapes aren’t grown organically and pesticide-free, and we felt a lot less guilty about our love of wine!

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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Jun 10

Sexism in Sports

I watched the Heat vs. Mavericks game last night—cheering for LeBron, Wade, and Bosh the whole way.  Unfortunately, they lost this one.  However, it had me thinking about why men’s sports teams are so glorified and women’s sports teams so devalued.  Not only are women athletes and sports teams often devalued—they are very often suppressed, degraded, or non-existent.

With the 2012 Olympics quickly approaching, there have been several reports highlighting issues surrounding sexism and gender injustice in sports.  To me, the Olympics allows for female representation in sports that is otherwise generally ignored cross-culturally.  For instance, it was found that in a three week period of airtime on ESPN, female athletics were only mentioned 2% of the time.  However, in the Olympics women athletes are often depicted on the front pages of newspapers and hailed champions for their boisterous wins.  Unfortunately, gender inequality and sexist attitudes persist even in the most unified series of athletic events known as the Olympics.  Despite women proving time and time again that they are strong, capable, and respectable athletes—in the same way as their male counterparts—they continue to face opposition.

It never ceases to amaze me how females are often portrayed as mere symbols of sex rather than of athleticism in sports.  Although it can be argued that women athletes posing erotically on the cover of magazines represent the empowerment of women as fierce athletes and femme fatales simultaneously, I beg to differ in most circumstances.

It probably comes as no surprise that sex sells.  Throughout history, society has been socialized to perceive women in a sexualized and subservient manner.  While we have come a long way (at least here in the U.S.) in accepting women as more than sexual objects, media often continues to reinforce gender stereotypes.  The Women’s Sports Foundation lists a number of questions to ask oneself when evaluating whether an image of a woman athlete is sexually exploitive:

  • Does the woman look like an athlete?
  • Is she dressed like an athlete, and is her dress appropriate to her sport?
  • Does she have all her appropriate clothes on (rather than being pictured in the process of dressing or undressing)?
  • Does the picture focus on an inappropriate body part (such as breasts and buttocks)?
  • Are her pose and movements realistic? (If Michael Jordan was posed in this position, would he look ridiculous? Is she pouting seductively while holding a volleyball?)
  • Do the words and pictures go together? (“strong is sexy” or “the beauty of power”)

I would argue that many times, female athletes posing in ads or magazines do not meet the criteria, although there are always exceptions.  The intentions of those behind media advertisements or other marketing initiatives are important in shaping society’s perceptions of women (and men).  Media outlets can be key players in diminishing sexism and gender stereotypes across the board if following ethical guidelines, such as those posed above.

Femininity is currently being used to market women’s sports and increase public recognition—but I question whether this is counterproductive.  The Badminton World Federation enforced a new rule in the sport whereas women are forced to wear skirts or dresses, forbidden from wearing shorts, in the name of “aesthetics” and “increasing popularity” among the masses.  It has been a major topic of controversy, particularly coming from female athletes in the sport itself.  Although the Federation denies that they are being sexist, I think that using stereotypically “feminine” attire to market the sport falls under that category.  While it is commendable that the Federation is seeking recognition for their female badminton players, I cannot help but to wonder if changing the uniforms will market the sport in the wrong way.  Will the public be watching the sport to watch women in skirts or women athletes?

Cynthia Castaldo-Walsh is a Program and Research Intern with the SISGI Group focused on gender-based conflict, non-violence and peacebuilding for conflict transformation, and sustainability for conflict resolution.
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Jun 10

Small Changes, Big Differences

Bicycles Changing Education for Girls

For many people, social change is synonymous with completely altering or overhauling the rules of society. There is usually a belief that the lifestyle or principles of an entire group of people are the catalysts to an issue affecting the area. In other words, the reason why a faction of society is suffering from a major problem is because there is something wrong with the way all people of that society think. Story after story is told about how all young girls in many parts of the world are forced to get married, have children, and never continue with their education. Due to this misconception, there are many stories of successes through small societal changes that are lost, not paid attention to, or never heard. One of these important and triumphant stories is about the significance of bicycles, and the effect they have on the education of girls in Bihar, India.

First and foremost, India has a fairly large literacy gap when it comes to males and females. According to the CIA World Factbook, the literacy rate for men is about 74.8 percent and the literacy rate for females, as last known from a 2001 census, is about 47.8 percent. The number may appear to be low to many people, but it is important to note that female literacy in 1990 was a meager 34 percent. Thus, there has been an improvement in literacy for girls in India, but the number is still lacking when compared to male literacy rates. In order to bridge the gap between gender-based literacy rates, many states in India, like Bihar, focused on figuring out why there were high drop-out rates for girls living in rural villages. The answer, for many girls, was the fact that schools were located very far from their homes. It required hours of travel time for girls to walk back and forth from home to school every day. Since the issue was one of transportation, Bihar created programs to provide young girls with bicycles so that their travel time is cut in half.

In Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar created a fully subsidized program for girls with good attendance and high grades to apply for a grant to receive a bicycle and school uniform. Money from the grant was given directly to the girl attending school in order to avoid corrupt actions. Though the heads of the program were afraid that parents would end up taking money away from the girls, the results showed that nine out of ten girls had purchased bicycles. In the year 2007, the first year the program was put into effect; statistics proved that there was an increase of 163,000 girls attending class nine. Today, the drop-out rate for girls from class nine to class ten has gone from 2.5 million to only 1 million, which is an astounding number. The bicycle program has proven to be an extraordinary solution for a plethora of girls who wanted to continue their education, but were unable to because of transportation issues.

The bicycle program, which has proven to be rather successful in Bihar, now serves as a model for other states in India. In Maharashtra, individuals like Jugal S. Rathi have seen the positive outcomes regarding the bicycle program in Bihar, and urge the chief minister of Maharashtra to adopt a similar program. There are already organizations, like globalgiving, that provide over 400 bicycles to girls in Maharashtra in order to increase school attendance levels. The bicycle project hopes to offer young girls from rural villages an opportunity to continue with their education, and fulfill their dreams of becoming leading members of society. However, Maharashtra does not yet have an official state-run bicycle program like that of Bihar.

The beauty of the bicycle program in Bihar teaches two very important lessons to anyone who desires to make changes in society. First, sometimes the smallest changes can have the biggest impacts. Second, it is important to note that there are stories of successes in which not every girl is left illiterate because she lives in a rural village. Though female illiteracy is still a major issue in India, there are millions of young girls from rural villages who are educated because of programs created for them. However, there are exceptions and accomplishments that must also be noted and discovered.

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Jun 09

Sudan – The Human Cost

On Tuesday, I wrote about foreign aid into Sudan. While I did write a few lines about the security situation there, I didn’t go into much detail about it. I have a tendency to get caught up in the numbers and facts of aid. Sometimes it’s good for me to remind myself of the human element of aid – after all, that’s what it should be all about. To understand the reason why aid is even necessary in Sudan, it’s important to know what the people there are dealing with on a day-to-day basis. So what is actually happening there? And why does security even matter?

As I mentioned in the previous post, the Sudanese people are no strangers to violence. For decades, Sudan fought a civil war on and off. The war was mainly between the Muslim north and the Christian south. Millions have died serving their cause, yet violence persists. In spite of various peace agreements meant to bridge the gap between the north and the south, the security situation remains volatile.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has been investigating the violence in Sudan since 2005. This came after a United Nation inquiry that revealed evidence of human rights violations. Many of these violations can be traced to Sudan’s president, Omar al-Bashir, who has been in power since 1989. Over the course of its investigation, the ICC has repeatedly issued warrants for the arrest of al-Bashir, none of which have been served. In a recent ICC testimony to the UN, al-Bashir was once again charged with crimes against humanity and genocide. So much for the success of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

This terrible news comes on the heel of reports of continued violence in Sudan. It seems the violence is a northern initiative to control key southern positions ahead of the southern secession, scheduled for July 9th. Most of the recent conflict surrounds the border region between southern and northern Sudan. Sudanese troops from Khartoum, the northern capital of Sudan, have been attacking the southern Abyei region. This region is known to possess vast oil reserves, making it a very desirable area to control.

When northern forces attacked, over 100,000 fled the region with nowhere to go. Human rights organizations estimate that since the start of the conflict, 2 million people have been killed, 4.5 million have been displaced within Sudan and 400,000 have fled the country. Imagine how great of an effect these kinds of attacks have on the people of the region. Where do you go when you can’t go home and everyone around you is in the same displaced situation? What limited access some of these people had to food and clean water is now disrupted. And who knows how long they’ll have to be on the move. When the UN requested that Khartoum withdraw its forces from the region, it received a flat refusal.

What general role does security play when it comes to aid? According to David Phillips, a former senior State Department advisor, foreign aid depends on three things: security, relief and recovery. The order of these three items matters. Without security, nations may be hesitant to provide the relief resources that could lead to recovery. Sudan’s unstable atmosphere scares aid organizations away. After all, who wants to invest in a country if it is on the brink of being ripped apart by another civil war?

Boosting the economic status of suffering people and providing necessities like healthcare, food and water are all ways in which aid organizations can help the Sudanese people. But if we lose site of the human toll the people are paying daily while we are assisting them, we are failing to address the biggest issue. Security is indeed paramount to relief and recovery.

It’s time for the UN to listen to the ICC and do something about al-Bashir. The UN peacekeeper forces in Darfur cost a staggering $2.6 a year, yet hardly accomplish their goal of keeping the peace. So if ending violence in current Sudan is unrealistic, the UN should do everything in its power to support the south as it splits off from the north. From his Khartoum headquarters, al-Bashir is demonstrating his power by attacking southern regions. If the international community doesn’t actively respond to this, why would he stop the attacks after Sudan is divided? Come this July, the southern Sudanese are going to need our support more than ever.

Ryan Pavel is a Program and Research Intern with the SISGI Group focusing on foreign military involvement, policy and strategy into conflicts and motivations behind and impact of foreign aid. To learn more about the SISGI Group visit www.sisgigroup.org
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Jun 09

Spotlight On charity: water Part II

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post applauding charity: water on their excellent use of social media to benefit the organization and its cause. Today, I want to focus on another unique aspect of the company that deserves equal praise: the way they market their business model.

Charity: water uses the 100% model, which means that 100% of all public donations goes directly to funding water projects. In other words, if someone was browsing their website and wanted to donate $20, every cent of that donation would go toward a water project. Even credit card and PayPal transaction fees are covered when donations are made online.

The 100% model is neither a revolutionary nor uncommon business  model used by nonprofits – what is special, however, is how charity: water uses it as a marketing technique. Charity: water takes many opportunities to publicize – with pride and confidence – its ability to donate 100% of public donations. From mentioning it on the website’s home page to its donation page to the FAQ page, charity: water assures and reassures donors that every penny of their money will be put to good use. Because there is no confusion about where the donation is going, this marketing technique connects the donor directly with the water project they’re funding – which personalizes the experience of donating money to charity: water.

Thus far, charity: water has been able to stick to their model of using 100% of public donations for water projects. The fact that the nonprofit made such an ambitious and bold promise and it has been able to keep it contributes to the organization’s great reputation.

So how does charity: water fund its administrative costs? Surely they’re extensive, as expenses range from plane tickets to construction equipment to employee salaries. However, a combination of corporate sponsorships, foundations, events, and a membership program called The Well generates enough money to fund the numerous operating costs.

Charity: water proves that although the 100% model may be ambitious, success is possible if executed and marketed correctly. Surely, social media has helped spread charity: water’s cause, and their success has further contributed to The Well’s growing membership and an increasing number of corporate sponsorships. The more successful the organization has become, the more private support it has received to fund administrative costs. That way, charity: water has been able to maintain their 100% model.

To learn more about charity: water and the awesome work they do, be sure to check out their website.

Rebecca Birnbaum is a Program and Research Intern with 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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