BOSTON, Massachusetts — Every year, extreme weather forces “26 million people into poverty every year” and is responsible for $520 billion in consumption loss. Although natural disasters have no prejudice, impoverished people are affected the most. These are some of the biggest recent natural disasters affecting poverty around the world. Wildfires in Turkey and Greece The ongoing wildfires in Turkey have been some of the worst in history. With eight fatalities and 27 hospitalizations as of Aug. 4, 2021, the fire has also reached a coal-fired power plant, releasing harmful gases. More than 10,000 people have evacuated due to the…
Author: Claire Olmstead
SEATTLE, Washington — In early August 2021, protests arose in Delhi, India, following the gang rape, murder and forced cremation of a nine-year-old girl. The girl’s mother sent her to fetch water from a nearby crematorium when a Hindu priest and three other men attacked the girl. When the mother went to retrieve her child’s body, the men threatened her and cremated the body against her wishes, thus, pathologists could not perform an autopsy to confirm the rape. The young girl was a Dalit, the lowest caste in the Hindu caste hierarchy considered India’s most marginalized group. According to the…
MAHARASHTRA, India — In recent years, the name Karen has become a popular meme that references a particular type of woman who is white, middle-class and exhibits behaviors that stem from privilege and supremacy. Karens are very different from the Sgaw Karen people living in Myanmar. They are an ethnic minority that have been subjected to genocide for decades. With the military usurping power in the country, this minority that has been in the throes of armed conflict with the government for years is now gearing up with the rest of the Myanmar population to overthrow the current military dictatorship,…
VALLEY FALLS, New York — On June 8, 2021, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and cosponsor Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) introduced a bill that would boost the United States’ response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. In the House of Representatives, the bill was introduced on the same day by sponsor Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and cosponsors Representatives Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Donald M. Payne, Jr. (D-NJ), Raul M. Grijalva (D-AZ), Andre Carson (D-IN), Deborah Ross (D-NC) and Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC). Titled the NOVID Act, the bill lays out a plan for the U.S. to assist…
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The United States’ relations with Cuba have a long, fluctuating history marked by embargo acts and bills reopening trade and travel. Introduced Feb. 4, 2021, the United States Cuba Trade Act of 2021 is the latest act aiming to improve the relationship between the small island and the large Western power. The act would repeal the embargo on Cuba and prohibit restrictions on travel between the U.S. and Cuba if the travel is lawful in the U.S. The relationship between the U.S. and Cuba is currently strained as Cubans are protesting food shortages related to the…
LOS ANGELES, California — On July 7, 2021, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the international network of independent organizations known as Teach For All announced a joint endeavor that would significantly help the refugee community. By providing education for refugees whose displacement hinders their ability to find opportunities for higher education, this initiative allows refugees educational empowerment. In doing so, both organizations wish to see the employment prospects of refugees improve as improving their financial wellbeing bolsters growing economies around the world. From Classes To Paychecks Current progress stems from a combination of programs that UNHCR…
DUBLIN, Ohio — In the wake of natural disasters and war, many children are left orphaned and alone. Founded in 2004, the GiveLight Foundation works to give such children a new home, family and opportunity for a better life. Their initial goal of a house for 50 orphans in Indonesia quickly expanded to homes for 1,000 orphans in more than 11 countries. They have built five homes with plans for two more homes on the horizon. And, they offer funding and support in many countries including Turkey, Palestine, Mexico, Jordan, Pakistan and Nepal. From advanced schooling to creating a second…