ROLLING MEADOWS, Illinois — Senegal was one of the first countries that jumped to action when the WHO first announced the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, their response was so successful that the Foreign Policy COVID-19 Global Response Index ranked it second out of 36 countries. This was primarily due to the government’s quick response to the pandemic, which made COVID-19 tests free, banned public gatherings, suspended flights, made handwashing stations available in public and introduced a “dusk till dawn curfew.” Still, nearly 2 million people have fallen into poverty since the pandemic began and the second wave has hit the…
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MOUNT VERNON, Ohio — Oxford Dictionary defined genocide as “the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the aim of destroying that nation or group.” During World War I, the Ottoman Empire (present-day Turkey) murdered more than 300,000 Assyrians as a form of ethnic cleansing. However, the international community at large has not acknowledged the history of persecution of the Assyrian people as a genocide. To acknowledge and raise awareness of the Assyrian genocide, Representative Josh Harder [D-CA-10] reintroduced H. Res. 537 in the House on July 22, 2021. Who Are…
SPOKANE, Washington — Generation Z has entered the consumer market with a desire to shop responsibly. About 90% of Gen Z consumers expect fashion companies to confront the harm caused to workers and the environment. Consumers seeking out a truly responsible solution can consider ethical thrift shopping at nonprofit stores like Planet Aid Thrift Store in Rockville, Maryland. Directly against today’s fast fashion model that profits off poverty, Planet Aid works to reduce poverty and increase self-reliance in developing communities worldwide. Fast Facts on Fast Fashion Fast fashion has grown out of increased demand from consumers. In fact, fashion consumption more…
LOS ANGELES, California — Growing food in space can do more than just feed astronauts. Studies of space and its effect on seeds are leading scientists to develop high-yielding strains of plants that can alleviate food insecurity on Earth. After decades of exploring this avenue of research, China is making one of the largest contributions to the list of spaceborne crops to date. Rice From Heaven It began with China’s Chang’e-5 probe taking on a 40-gram shipment of rice as a passenger for its journey to the moon in November 2020. A period of 23 days between departure and return would…
KATY, Texas — Practicing good hygiene is an important aspect of one’s life, especially when it comes to preventing the spread of infections and diseases. According to the CDC, many diseases are spread through improper washing of areas like the hands, face and body. Basic acts of hygiene, such as frequent use of soap, handwashing and bathing, can largely prevent the spread of infections and diseases. However, practicing good hygiene is difficult in many countries due to a lack of clean water and a lack of soap. Keeping Hands Clean UNICEF states that “handwashing with soap before meals and after…
LOS ANGELES, California — Three Malaysian university students, Bennie Beh Hue May, Loo Xin Yang and Yap Chun Yoon, developed a sustainable low-cost desalination device named the WaterPod. The students, sophomores at Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation’s School of Media, Arts, and Design (SOMAD), recognized that 97% of the world’s water is in the oceans but a large amount of people have limited or no access to drinkable water. They also noticed that the existing techniques to desalinize seawater are costly and unsustainable. The young designers claim that the WaterPod is the opposite of that. The three have…
CHANTILLY, Virginia — On March 17, 2021, Representative Karen Bass [D-CA] introduced H.Res. 245 to the Foreign Affairs Committee. Committee members sent it to the House of Representatives for consideration on March 25. As a simple resolution, H.Res. 245 calls for the commendation of African frontline healthcare employees. It calls on Congress and the executive branch to provide African countries with assistance in their efforts to combat COVID-19 and poverty in Africa. What the Resolution Advocates For Unlike bills sent to the House for debate, simple resolutions like H.Res. 245 are only agreed upon in the chambers where they were…
Valley Falls, NY — On June 22, 2021, Representative Ted Lieu (D-CA) introduced a resolution asserting the US’s “commitment” to refugees in the House of Representatives. The following day, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) introduced the resolution in the Senate. Background of the Resolution The resolution comes at a time when, in its own words, the world is experiencing “the worst displacement crisis in recorded history.” According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 82.4 million people were forcibly displaced in 2020, 11.2 million of whom were newly displaced that year. The number of displaced people rose every year…
SAN JACINTO, California — Sierra Leone is a country with a population of nearly eight million people. It is located in one of the most impoverished regions in the world, sub-Saharan Africa. A recent population boom has increased the need for support for the health and educational issues Sierra Leone faces. Women in Sierra Leone are exposed to a variety of health issues that are not attended to. For example, Sierra Leone accounts for some of the most severe HIV/AIDS infection and child pregnancy rates in the world. These rates have damaged women’s healthcare in Sierra Leone. As Sierra Leone…
FAIRFAX, Virginia — Over 42 million people live in poverty in Brazil today. Approximately eight million are coffee workers. In 2019, Brazilian police discovered that undocumented workers were underpaid and lacked the correct safety equipment needed. Especially in the Minas Gerais state, which produces approximately 50% of Brazil’s coffee. Brazilian Poverty and Coffee Production. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brazil has struggled to maintain low poverty rates. From 2019 to 2020, Brazil’s poverty rate decreased from 29% to 21%. However, that number may rise once again as temporary assistance ends. Brazil produces 40% of the world’s coffee supply, the…