Author: Preston Rust

CYPRUS — The last decade has been eventful for the Cypriot economy. The country started off with one of the fastest-growing economies in the European Union (EU) and gradually declined to a failed fiscal system. Cyprus has recently achieved autonomy from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that was requested to help when the crisis reached its most extreme point. The historical trajectories of poverty in Cyprus lacks data. However, various reputable news sources link the increase in poverty rates in the island to the the 2008 and 2009 global economic downturn and the 2013 economic crisis. Cyprus Mail reports that 13,000 Cypriot families live below the poverty line. The failed economy and increased poverty…

SEATTLE — In recent years, the Indonesian government made significant strides toward accessible education in Indonesia. However, as of 2012, only 51 percent of adolescents ages 15 to 18 attended school. This lack of attendance at the secondary and tertiary education levels makes it difficult for employment agencies to fill their ranks with qualified laborers. In order to address this issue, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) recently published a list of educational goals for Indonesia: 1. Give High Priority to Early Education “Early childhood education lays the foundations for greater success further down the education pipeline, greater equity of opportunities and outcomes, and more…

SEATTLE — Beginning on December 18, 2010, the Arab World underwent a change whose effects are still being felt throughout the Middle East. What came to be known as “The Arab Spring” first overthrew the government of Tunisia, and continued on to Egypt and various other countries. However, the greatest success in the series of these uprisings is regarded to be the political progress in Tunisia. The Arab Spring allegedly began with a 26-year-old Tunisian fruit and vegetable vendor who was struggling to support a family of eight on $150 a month. After his goods were confiscated by the government and his…

SEATTLE — December 2015 marked an achievement for the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. For the first time in history, women were allowed to contribute their voices at the ballot box. Though this event indicated progress, confusion remains regarding the trajectory of women’s rights in Saudi Arabia. The late King Abdullah is lauded for his role in expanding women’s rights in Saudi Arabia recently. Though his actions for the cause have been criticized as “painfully slow,” he began to allow the participation of women in national politics shortly before his death in January of 2015. BBC reports that before King Abdullah passed away,…

DHAKA, Bangladesh — Eradicating poverty has become a top priority of the Bengali Government. Central to the poverty reduction initiative is the government’s efforts to eliminate illiteracy in Bangladesh. In 1971, Bangladesh declared independence from Pakistan. Since then, it has experienced a gauntlet of political, economic and climatic crises which have left the country with little room for real development. Despite all of these challenges, the government and its developmental partners have exerted a commendable effort in reducing illiteracy in Bangladesh. Upon obtaining independence, Bangladesh had a diminutive literacy rate of 17.6 percent. Though the initial situation was bleak, the…