SEATTLE — The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is an upper middle-income country in Europe that declared its independence from the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1991. A few years after independence, the president of Macedonia accused the European Union and NATO of not delivering on their promises to help the government deal with the influx of refugees fleeing Kosovo. Since then, there have been notable improvements in the country’s situation. The success of development and humanitarian aid to Macedonia was punctuated by the 2001 adoption of the Ohrid Framework Agreement. This agreement secured the future of a…
Author: Mohammed Khalid
Mohammed Khalid
Mohammed Khalid writes for The Borgen Project from the quiet suburbs of Maryland. His personal and academic interests include journalism, cybersecurity, counterterrorism, writing, and constitutional and immigration law. Mohammed was born in the United Arab Emirates and grew up in both Pakistan and the United States. He is passionately (and perpetually) involved in building empathy by engaging with others and learning about their lives and stories.
SEATTLE — One of the world’s poorest countries, the Central African Republic has been ravaged by war and conflict for many years. Since May 2017, fierce fighting has only increased the suffering of the poor, refugees and the vulnerable, damaging the physical infrastructure and tearing apart the social norms and fabric of the country. While the emergency in the country has been one of the most poorly funded emergency situations in the world, the need for humanitarian aid is even more imperative in 2018. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and its partners have renewed their calls for…
SEATTLE — Shortly after Pakistan’s creation in 1947, the United States began providing the developing country with military aid and economic assistance. Between 1951 and 2011, the U.S. earmarked nearly $67 billion in foreign and humanitarian aid to Pakistan. Last year, Pakistan achieved a 5.3 percent economic growth rate, the highest in a decade. The gross domestic product, which is the sum of all goods and services produced in a country, was projected to grow at a rate of 5.28 percent during fiscal year 2016-17. The U.S. Congress passed the Enhanced Partnership for Pakistan Act (known locally as the Kerry-Lugar-Berman bill…
AMMAN — A very small country that can be driven across in five hours, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a major trading and investment hub in the Middle East, as well as very well connected to its neighboring countries of Syria, Israel, Palestinian territories, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The country prides itself on attracting investors from every corner of the globe, and infrastructure in Jordan appeals to companies and businesses around the world. Structural Reforms and Refugees According to the World Bank, in the last 10 years the government of Jordan has pursued structural reforms in improving education and…
SEATTLE — Water quality in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is considered to be one of the best in the world. However, the Gulf federation of seven emirates is not only among the top countries in the world with problems of water shortages, but also has one of the world’s highest per capita water consumption, which reaches about 550 liters per day. UAE is a well-known tourist attraction with a long sea coast and sandy beaches. Despite strict government regulations regarding air pollution, the management of domestic, commercial and industrial waste and oil spills from ships, the drinking water quality…
SEATTLE — At a high-level conference organized by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of Uganda and the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), scientists gathered along with regional government and civil society representatives to discuss how science and technological innovations in Africa could spur agricultural production and reduce food insecurity on the continent. Dr. Cyprian Ebong, the executive director of the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA), pointed out lack of commitment and a recalcitrant status quo as reasons for the lack of speedy progress. “There is tacit evidence that African governments and farmers…
SEATTLE — With the signing of the Ohrid Framework Agreement in 2001, Macedonia not only secured the future of a peaceful democracy and a road to ethnic reconciliation, but also established uniform standards for academic programs throughout the country. However, the lack of attention and support given to ethnic groups has been the greatest challenge to providing equal access to education. Consequently, education in Macedonia has been a constant source of ethnic tensions and political controversy. The right to free, compulsory primary and secondary education to every citizen is guaranteed by the Macedonian constitution. Higher education is partly funded by…
BELGRADE — Education in Serbia is broken down into four systems: preschool, primary, secondary and higher education. Though the education system begins with mandatory studies, students in this Balkan country have a wide leeway in shaping their program of study suitable to their individual needs and wishes. Preschool education offered by kindergartens makes up the first step of mandatory studies in Serbia. Children at the age of five or six are able to attend preschool education, which lasts one year. This is followed by primary education which is compulsory for all children between ages seven and 15. Primary education is…
SEATTLE — Each year, about 175,000 children aged 14 and under are diagnosed with cancer worldwide. According to the Union for International Cancer Control, 90,000 of these children – or eight children per 10 – die unnecessarily of their disease. Though advances in treatment have increased the survival rate of children diagnosed with cancer by 80 percent, most children with cancer live in developing countries have a survival rate of less than 25 percent. A study conducted in Western Kenya sought to discern reasons for abandoning childhood cancer treatment in developing countries. Treatment abandonment is defined as failing to return…
CAPE TOWN — Reducing poverty remains a global challenge and South Africa has seen its share of struggle. The fight against poverty in the country is counted among the country’s so-called “triple threat” along with inequality and unemployment. Opportunity and progress are too often crippled by the legacy of apartheid in the country. According to latest figures by Statistics South Africa (SSA), the country’s national statistical service, 30 million South Africans are living in extreme poverty. For them, alleviating poverty in South Africa remains a distant dream. Most of the affected groups include black Africans, females, rural populations, those lacking…