Author: Sarah Prellwitz

SEATTLE — On March 13, Palestinian teacher Hanan al-Hroub proudly accepted the 2016 Global Teacher Prize in recognition of her efforts to end violence in schools. Al-Hroub teaches primary school in the West Bank city of al-Bireh, an area that is rife with tension between Israelis and Palestinians. Sunny Varkey of the Varkey Foundation created the Global Teacher Prize in 2014 to commend dedicated teachers around the world for their efforts in education and promoting the teaching profession. One of the most notable achievements of a teacher is transforming high-risk students into dedicated pupils. “Teachers are also uniquely placed to…

SEATTLE — In 2015, one out of 11 children worldwide did not attend school. The reasons vary: some because they couldn’t afford the school fees, others live miles away from a schoolhouse. But for many children the issue is simply that they don’t understand the languages spoken in classrooms because they aren’t native languages. Since 1953 the United Nation’s Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has specified the importance of native languages in school settings. UNESCO’s main goal is to ensure that “every child, boy or girl, has access to quality education as a fundamental human right and as a…

SEATTLE — Everyone has heard of Harry Potter. Perhaps lesser known is the blockbuster book series’ author J.K. Rowling’s charitable donations. The famed writer, once worth an estimated $1 billion thanks to the Harry Potter franchise, has given away about 16 percent of her net worth, or $160 million. She has contributed to several causes including ones that fight illiteracy, multiple sclerosis and human exploitation. J.K. Rowling’s charitable donations is a good model for up-and-coming philanthropists. Here are five lessons to be gained from following her example: 1. Poverty is a real problem Rowling, who lived on welfare until 1999,…

SEATTLE — In 2015, the Worldwatch Institute reported that the average American or European throws away 100 kilograms of plastic per year. Unfortunately, as much as 43 percent of used plastic ends up in oceans or landfills. Social plastic, a term coined by two entrepreneurs, allows people to collect discarded plastic in developing countries and trade it in for needed items, money or even access to electricity. Plastic waste is detrimental to struggling communities because it threatens fishermen, agriculture and potential tourism, making poor countries poorer. But what if all the discarded plastic currently strewn across developing countries could help…

HARARE, Zimbabwe — In 2014, two Zimbabwean child brides, Ruvimbo Tsopodzi and Loveness Mudzuru, sued the Constitutional Court for failing to protect girls from child marriage. The court challenge lasted nearly two years, but ultimately ended positively. In January of this year, the Constitutional Court ruled that boys and girls under the age of 18 cannot enter into “unregistered, customary or religious” unions, effective immediately. Zimbabwe’s former Marriage Act allowed girls to be married at the age of 16, while boys could not marry until 18. Early arranged marriage is practiced in many countries. A recent UNICEF report said an estimated…

SEATTLE — The approaching spring season marks the fifth anniversary of the Syrian conflict. The last few years have witnessed the largest displacement of people in history. Drawn-out violence and upheaval have meant a lack of access to education for Syrian refugees. According to Girls Not Brides, child marriages among Syrian refugees have increased to 26 percent. Additionally, a third of young refugees are child laborers, which means they aren’t receiving a quality education. Providing education for Syrian refugees is a vital part of the recovery process. The steady routine of school provides children with a renewed sense of security…

“Genocide” is the systematic destruction of a racial, political or cultural group of people. Most genocides erupt from racial animosity, but poverty plays a significant role in many of the biggest genocides in history, either as a precursor to or result of the violence. According to Peter Joseph, director of the documentary “Zeitgeist: Moving Forward,” poverty has caused more deaths worldwide than all of history’s biggest genocides and continues to do so. “Structural violence [poverty] is also the main cause of behavioral violence,” said Joseph in his documentary. A historical synopsis will reveal poverty’s role in history’s biggest genocides. 1. The Holocaust…

KIBERA, Kenya – In 2012, fashion designer Ava Darnell founded Slumlove Sweater Company to boost employment in Kibera, home to Africa’s largest slum and one of the largest slums in the world. Slumlove hires women to knit organic cotton sweaters in exchange for fair wages. About 250,000 people live in Kiberia. Unemployment rates for residents can be as low as 50 percent and without sufficient pay families can’t escape the cycle of extreme poverty. Slumlove provides women with a safe, respectful environment to work and ensures that they take home enough wages to meet the needs of their families. In…

Off the coast of northern Bohol Island in the Philippines lies 90 miles of coral reefs and seaweed farms, known as Danajon Bank. Seaweed farming is one of the last remaining sources of income for many local communities. Danajon Bank was once home to one of the most diverse marine life regions in the world. Decades of over fishing, unsafe fishing practices and over development have reduced the aquatic population, and many species are now endangered. The decline in marine life jeopardizes the local communities that rely on fishing for food and income. Just over half of the fishing in the Philippines occurs…

LEGON, Accra – Ernest Aryeetey, Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana (UG), took a bold stand on his university’s future and initiated reforms towards more international education. “Internationalization is vital to the achievement of the University of Ghana’s strategic vision of becoming a world-class research-intensive University within the next decade,” the school’s website states. International universities produce alumni with global perspectives. Studying with students from other countries promotes cross-cultural fertilization of ideas. Likewise, international education can enhance faculty research. Among Aryeetey’s plans have been the construction of branch campuses, the introduction of cross broader collaborative arrangements, the revamping of…