Poverty and The True Costs of Mental Illness

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Isabella was born in Barranquilla, Colombia. Isabella was raped by her uncle when she was only four years old. The traumatic incident and memories tormented Isabella through her youth and at the age of 11 she turned to drugs to escape this harsh reality. After she began to threaten suicide, she was admitted to a psychiatric hospital at the age of 15.

Following her treatment at the hospital and her continued treatment at Children International’s community center Isabella became a peer educator for the organization’s Youth Health Corps. Isabella now counsels and shares her experiences and knowledge with other youth in the area.

Isabella’s story ended positively but for other youth and adults suffering from mental illness in developing countries this is too often not the outcome. The lack of available treatment is not only a burden on the communities and people suffering from mental illness but impacts the global economy and accounts for much of the decrease in global gross domestic product.

Full article @: http://www.borgenmagazine.com/poverty-true-costs-mental-illness/

The Roma People Face Poverty and Discrimination

BUDAPEST, Hungary — The Roma people who initially immigrated from India now comprise eight percent of Hungary’s population. According to the United Nations High Commission on Refugees, The Roma in Hungary face a 70 percent unemployment rate. This is equivalent to 10 times the national average and only three percent of the Roma population attend high school, contributing to lack of basic literacy skills.

Human Rights Watch researcher Lydia Gall said: “This is supposed to be a European Union country but travel to any Roma community and you will see people living in poverty like in sub-Saharan Africa and racial attacks with no one brought to justice.”

Full Article @: http://www.borgenmagazine.com/roma-people-face-poverty-discrimination/

Sustainability Decreases Poverty

The issues of poverty and sustainability are strongly connected. We cannot create successful sustainable developments without addressing both issues. It is an inverse relationship that is vital to the success of eradicating poverty. As we decrease poverty we must also increase sustainability, so that communities can continue to grow on their own after the aid is gone.

Full Article @: http://borgenproject.org/sustainability-decreases-poverty/

Orphanages in Mexico and Human Rights

MEXICO CITY, Mexico — Children’s homes and orphanages in Mexico have long suffered from a lack of oversight. Many children are orphaned because of the drug war, but whatever the cause, children’s homes in Mexico have been known to abuse and neglect children as well as to traffic many who are undocumented.

Although the country’s Social Assistance Law requires monitoring of these homes, low funding and indifference have let many orphanages in Mexico go unmonitored, leading to various human rights abuses.

According to experts, this lack of professionalism, funding and official records are in violation of international treaties signed by the country of Mexico.

Full Article @: http://www.borgenmagazine.com/orphanages-mexico-human-rights/

How Gandhi Utilized Advocacy

CLEVELAND — Martin Luther King, Jr. once referred to Gandhi’s philosophy as, “The only morally and practically sound method open to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom.” Mahatma, or “Great Soul,” Gandhi was an advocate and is largely known for bringing about the concept of nonviolent resistance.

Gandhi’s journey as an advocate began in South Africa. As a young legal adviser, he saw firsthand the damage caused by race-oriented laws and class based oppression.

This is when Gandhi began to teach his philosophy of passive resistance. Gandhi’s organization of the Indian community in South Africa was the beginning of widespread social change.

Full Article @: http://www.borgenmagazine.com/gandhi-utilized-advocacy/

How Nelson Mandela Used Advocacy

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Born on July 18, 1918 into the royal family of the Thembu tribe where his father was chief, Nelson Mandela began a life of leadership at an early age. At nine years old Mandela, then known as Rolihlahla, was adopted by a high-ranking member of the Thembu regent who began to prepare Mandela for a role as a tribal leader. Mandela would go on to end the apartheid government in South Africa and champion causes including human rights and poverty.

In the 1940’s, Mandela became a leader for the African National Congress, or ANC – a political party – and oversaw peaceful protests and eventually armed resistance against the discriminatory apartheid government. In 1949, the ANC adopted the ANCYL plan in an attempt to achieve full citizenship for all South Africans. The plan utilized several strategies including boycotts, strikes and other forms of nonviolent civil disobedience.

Full article @: http://www.borgenmagazine.com/nelson-mandela-used-advocacy/

Renewable Energy In Australia

CANBERRA, Australia — Australia is a high-income country with approximately 12.8 percent of its population living below the national poverty line and 575,000 or approximately 17.3 percent of children living below this same poverty line. There is also a larger percentage of poverty among social security recipients, 36.5 percent due to a stagnant level of benefits since 1994. Despite the countries past two decades of continuous growth, poverty is still a concern.

One of the countries most recent concerns is energy poverty and its relation to the proposed abolishment of Australia’s RET goal otherwise known as a Renewable Energy Target. Australia’s renewable energy target is to generate 20 percent of all the countries electricity through renewable energy by 2020.

Full Article @: Renewable Energy In Australia Borgen Magazine

Is Genetic Engineering the Solution to Drought?

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The United Nations has referred to drought as the “world’s costliest natural disaster.” Drought causes 6 to 8 billion dollars in damages annually and has been responsible for 11 million deaths since the start of the twentieth century. It has affected a total of two billion people. However, scientists are finding ways to genetically engineer crops to be drought resistant. This means despite drought conditions, the rural poor can still harvest their crops for sale or food.

Areas that suffer from drought conditions are varied and include sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Australia. Yet, the overall area of land that is affected by drought has doubled over the past three decades according to the National Center of Atmospheric Research in the U.S.

Full Article @: Is Genetic Engineering the Solution to Drought? Borgen Magazine

Flooding in Nepal: Poor Most Vulnerable

On August 2, a landslide and flooding in Nepal killed approximately 156 people. It completely covered a main highway leading to China with 20 feet of debris, blocked a major river and damaged hydro power stations, causing a 10 percent power loss across the nation. The Nepal Red Cross Society said that this recent two kilometer-long landslide was the worst in the nation’s history.

As a result, experts are encouraging the Nepalese government to map out hazard areas and include natural disaster planning in its economic and development plans for the country. Experts also agree that an early warning system could have avoided the large death toll.

Full Article @: Flooding in Nepal: Poor Most Vulnerable Borgen Blog

Human Rights Watch Executives Denied Entry

CAIRO, Egypt — On Aug. 10, Egyptian authorities stopped two Human Rights Watch executives from entering the country. Kenneth Roth and Sara Whitson were entering Egypt to report to journalists and diplomats the results of a 188-page report about the role of law enforcement in the mass killing of activists. The demonstrators were protesting the military takeover of their elected President Mohamed Morsi.

Human Rights Watch reports that law enforcement officials shot and killed at least 1,150 demonstrators during Morsi supporter sit-ins spread across six different locations. The two HRW executives were held at Cairo International Airport overnight for approximately 12 hours before being denied entry into the country.

Full Article @: Human Rights Watch Executives Denied Entry Borgen Magazine