WASHINGTON, D.C. — On May 17, U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced S.Res. 168, a resolution supporting respect for human rights and encouraging inclusive governance in Ethiopia. The resolution has bipartisan support and currently has 15 cosponsors after Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) joined the original 14 on May 25. Since October 2016, a state of emergency has been in effect in Ethiopia following anti-government protests. Many basic freedoms have been severely restricted and the extreme measures have been condemned for going far beyond what is acceptable under international law. The state of emergency was initially declared…
Author: Michael Farquharson
Michael Farquharson
Michael writes for The Borgen Project from Madison, WI. His academic interests include international relations, economics, current affairs and politics. Michael was born in France, grew-up in the U.K. and now lives in the U.S.A.. He also has a passion for cooking.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently upheld the preliminary injunction that blocks key elements of President Trump’s executive order banning travel from Muslim-majority countries and placing a moratorium on refugees entering the United States. The State Department also recently announced that it will raise its quota on refugee arrivals into the U.S. from around 900 to 1,500 per week. Where are the top destinations for refugees in the U.S. and which states resettle the most? According to the Pew Research Center, the U.S. admitted just fewer than 85,000 refugees in the fiscal year 2016, the…
CAIRO — According to Emil Michael, Uber’s chief business officer, “the Egyptian market is the most important for Uber in the Middle East.” There are currently 50,000 drivers using the ride-sharing app in the country, and the company is poised to make further investments in the Egyptian market. Uber’s investment in Egypt highlights the economic opportunity for foreign companies in the country and the benefits of foreign investment for the local population. In a recent interview with Daily News Egypt, Michael asserts that roughly 40 percent of the 50,000 drivers in Egypt were unemployed prior to joining the company. He…
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Trump has nominated Mark Green, former U.S. ambassador to Tanzania, to head the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Trump’s pick for USAID head has been met with bipartisan approval in Congress and broad support from nonprofits in the international affairs arena. Green has held myriad roles in the public and private sectors. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin Law School, he and his wife taught English in Kenya as volunteers with WorldTeach, a development organization run out of Harvard University. During this time, they traveled extensively throughout East Africa, including western Tanzania. He…
SEATTLE — Honduras is one of the poorest countries in Latin America, with more than two-thirds of the population living in poverty in 2016. In rural areas, one in five live in extreme poverty, surviving on less than $1.90 a day. Water quality in Honduras has improved notably since the 1990s, but there is still a sizable chunk of the population without access to potable water or sanitation services, particularly in rural areas. According to a 2014 World Bank report, more than 2.2 million people throughout Honduras lack access to hygienic sanitation services and one million people cannot access safe…
SEATTLE — In September 2015, more than 150 world leaders convened for a United Nations summit and adopted a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 17 SDGs aim to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all by 2030. Although agreed upon on at an international level, the SDGs will be achieved only with contributions from both governments and corporations. In April, the U.N. published its preliminary SDG Commitment Report 100 which shows how well global companies are supporting the Sustainable Development Goals in their annual reports. The SDG Commitment Report scoured the 2016 annual reports…
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The ongoing civil war in Yemen is devastating one of the Arab world’s poorest countries. The conflict between the Houthi rebels and the Saudi-led coalition backing President Hadi has left 70 percent of the population in need of humanitarian aid. The fighting and a blockade imposed by the coalition has badly affected supplies of basic goods and devastated the economy. According to the U.N. secretary-general António Guterres, 17 million Yemenis are food insecure, with children at most risk of succumbing to malnutrition as a result of the famine in Yemen. Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) recently wrote an…
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) took to social media in April to come out against the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development. He tweeted, “I agree w/ President Bush: slashing foreign aid would be a dangerous mistake.” Sen. Coons is a prolific advocate for the benefits of foreign aid and recently traveled to South Sudan to witness U.S.-funded assistance programs in action. During his time in South Sudan, Sen. Coons visited towns in rebel-held areas where entire populations depend on humanitarian agencies for food. Since 2013, the U.S. has provided…
ISLAMABAD — In April, American professional services firm Tetra Tech Inc. announced that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) had awarded the company a $57 million contract to help deliver clean energy services and stimulate economic development in Pakistan. The contract was awarded as part of the USAID-funded Clean Energy for Pakistan’s Economy (CEPE) initiative. USAID and Pakistan are working together to build up the clean energy sector in the country and create big opportunities for American companies in Pakistan. Under the new contract, Tetra Tech will help developers and investors access financing for clean energy projects in Pakistan.…
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In 2003, the U.S. government launched the President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) initiative to tackle the HIV/AIDS crisis sweeping Africa. In a recent op-ed for the Washington Post, Former President George W. Bush opined on the PEPFAR program, arguing that, “Saving nearly 12 million lives is proof that PEPFAR works, and I urge our government to fully fund it.” The PEPFAR initiative and its remarkable success are integral parts of George W. Bush’s Africa legacy. The first iteration of PEPFAR allocated $15 billion over five years to spend on antiretroviral drugs, treatment centers, prevention programs…