Author: Tess Hinteregger

SEATTLE — Just this last week P!nk was awarded the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2017 MTV VMA’s. While the artist has successfully sold millions of records and made her mark in the music industry, her career spans beyond this field — P!nk’s support is one of the many celebrity ambassadors for UNICEF. P!nk In 2015, P!nk was appointed a UNICEF Ambassador due to her previous support to the fund. P!nk proclaimed that “All children should be able to grow up strong and healthy, with the opportunity to reach their full potential…as a UNICEF Ambassador, I want to…

PORT MORESBY — Claiming half of the world’s second largest island, Papua New Guinea (PNG) has been known to be among the most culturally diverse nations with over 800 languages and more than 1,000 different ethnic groups sprawling through the country. The population of PNG almost reaches 8 million and the majority of the nationals live in rural communities facing health, education and economic challenges. With these gaps in access to opportunity creating high levels of poverty, human trafficking has become a pressing result across the nation. Addressing the issue of trafficking is one of the best ways of how…

SEATTLE — As Hurricane Irma ripped its way through multiple locations, Guadeloupe is among the islands consumed by the storm’s wrath. Irma has been recorded as the strongest storm ever to be recorded in the Atlantic Ocean by the U.S. National Hurricane Center. With this extreme case of weather, it is important to determine how to help people in Guadeloupe who are affected by the hurricane. On Sep. 6, regional authorities for Guadeloupe and neighboring islands stated that the fire station that assists the small countries is under three feet of water and rescue vehicles are unable to be used.…

SEATTLE — After political strife in Mozambique ended in 1992, the country began to see a significant increase in economic growth. While political stability provides pockets of opportunity, much of the country is still impacted by poverty. However, with the support of CARE International programs in Mozambique, the country is addressing many of the issues it faces. CARE International is a nonprofit organization that focuses on implementing hope, tolerance and social justice while overcoming poverty to allow people to live with dignity and security. CARE began operation in Mozambique in 1984 to provide emergency assistance and food distribution for those…

SEATTLE — While there are many variables in an economy that can create poverty, unemployment is one of the most common causes. Global unemployment is such a serious issue with the total number of jobless individuals reaching 1.1 billion only in top 10 most populous nations. How unemployment creates poverty can be seen through both direct and indirect effects experienced by many economies around the world. 1. The Loss of Income  The obvious, straightforward answer of how unemployment creates poverty is through the loss of income. With joblessness comes a loss of income, and many families are left without sufficient…

MOGADISHU — Somalia has been plagued by conflict for more than two decades. As a consequence, the country has faced much instability that has left the current generation without the opportunities of formal education. With the country ranking at 165 out of 170 countries on the Human Development Index, the state of education in Somalia is one of the causes of the weak position for the nation. The main barriers to education in Somalia are conflict, the prevalence of child soldiers and poverty. While these three issues affect the access to education in different ways, the topics are all interlinked.…

KAMPALA — Uganda has been very successful in pulling its citizens out of poverty in recent years. The proportion of the population living in poverty has decreased from 31.1 percent in 2006 to 19.7 percent in 2013. While the country has been able to reduce the incidence of those living on $1.90 or less a day, poverty reduction remains fragile in the nation. With households found to be vulnerable to adverse shocks, climate change plays a significant role in answering the question ‘why is Uganda poor?’ Around 84 percent of Uganda’s population lives in rural areas. Additionally, 71.9 percent of…

BOGOTA — From 2015 to 2016, the extreme poverty rate in Colombia increased from 7.9 percent to 8.5 percent. While a historic peace agreement between the government and Colombia’s largest rebel group was signed in November 2016, the main causes of poverty in Colombia unravel from the conflict that took place beforehand. The country had one of the longest armed, internal conflicts in the world, spanning more than 50 years. As a result of the civil war, more than 220,000 people were killed, 80 percent of whom were civilians. Thousands disappeared and more than 7.5 million Colombians were displaced. The…

BOGOTA — On September 30, 2016, the Colombian Congress approved the new peace agreement between the government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). While the recent ceasefire will provide many benefits and changes to the country, uncertainty looms over the government’s plans for coca cultivation in Colombia. The Colombian government views the destruction of the illegal drug activities as a necessary and important step to attain peace after the 52-year civil war. Along with the help of FARC, the government plans to eliminate 50 percent of coca cultivation in Colombia by the end of 2017. To…