Student Ambassador Spotlight: Hunger in Haiti

The World Affairs Council Student Ambassadors are divided into Global Issues Groups.  Through these groups, students research specific a global issue, educate the other Student Ambassadors on that issue and try to find ways to bring change through an action project. This post spotlights the action taken by the Hunger in Haiti group.

Before Haiti was hit with a devastating 7.0 M earthquake that locals refer to as “the Thing” the island nation was already in a dire condition. More than half of citizens were living on less than $1/day and every year 38,000 children under the age of 5 were dying due to malnutrition. These statistics are sure to become more urgent and it is crucial for the world not to forget about Haiti. The Hunger in Haiti group started their year studying the nation before tragedy put it in the spotlight. They spent their time educating their peers about the crisis Haitians were experiencing and organized a Hunger Banquet to benefit the What If? Foundation.

The What If? Foundation is in collaboration with the St. Clare’s community of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Their success over the years has been made possible through the efforts of members of St. Clare’s, who prepare and serve the food program meals every week, enroll students into school, and run an after-school program and annual summer camp. This commitment and expertise, combined with the financial resources provided by the What If? Foundation is what has allowed these programs to flourish over the last ten years, even during very turbulent political and economic times.

 

Student Ambassador Spotlight: Education and Poverty Alleviation in Zambia

The World Affairs Council Student Ambassadors are divided into Global Issues Groups.  Through these groups, students research specific a global issue, educate the other Student Ambassadors on that issue and try to find ways to bring change through an action project. This post spotlights the action taken by the Education and Poverty Alleviation in Zambia group.

Zambia is a country in Southern Africa that was once a prosperous copper exporter and has now been reduced to one of the most impoverished nations in the world following the collapse of the copper market and the subsequent mismanagement of the country. Almost 90% of Zambians live below the poverty line, 17% of the people are infected with HIV and 70% of children do not attend secondary school. The Education and Poverty Alleviation in Zambia group has dedicated their year to learning about the nation and has explored how education can lead to empowerment in their own communities.

Throughout the year the group has volunteered their time to tutor students at Mills High School and 826 Valencia Writing Center. Furthermore they have made an effort to play Free Rice everyday to in an attempt to fight world hunger.  To date, the group has logged nearly 70 hours of tutoring and raised over 45,000 grains of rice.

The group hopes to team with Room to Read which created its initiative in Zambia in 2007. Overall Room to Read works in collaboration with local communities, partner organizations and governments to develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children, and ensure girls have the skills and support needed to complete their secondary education. So far in Zambia they have established over 100 libraries and have given countless girls the opportunity for an education.

 

Student Ambassador Spotlight: Education in Pakistan and Afghanistan

The World Affairs Council Student Ambassadors are divided into Global Issues Groups.  Through these groups, students research specific a global issue, educate the other Student Ambassadors on that issue and try to find ways to bring change through an action project. This post spotlights the action taken by the Education in Afghanistan and Pakistan group.

 

Kashmiri refugees, image property of Central Asia Institute

The Education in Afghanistan and Pakistan group has chosen to start a Facebook Cause titled Empowerment Through Education to raise awareness about how bringing education to this part of the world will in itself fight terrorism, empower women and create cycles of change. Please join their Cause by clicking the link above.

In their own words:

“Today, the United States is engaged in counterinsurgency efforts, pledging to fight terrorism against Islamic militants.

I invite you to think about this fact for a second – why are we fighting violence with more violence? Why are we pouring billions of dollars into ‘keeping America safe’ at the cost of lives, both American and Middle Eastern?

More importantly – why should this scenario change?

Because it is only through education that we can empower individuals who have been overlooked and oppressed for so long. And it is only through education could we be able to achieve and maintain lasting peace and hope.

Please help us spread the word, and thank you for your support!”

All proceeds that are earned from this Cause will benefit the Central Asia Institute which is a non-profit organization with the mission to promote and support community-based education, especially for girls, in remote regions of northern Pakistan and Afghanistan. Its co-founder is Greg Mortensen author of Three Cups of Tea.

 

Student Ambassador Spotlight: What Climate Change Means for China

The World Affairs Council Student Ambassadors are divided into Global Issues Groups.  Through these groups, students research specific a global issue, educate the other Student Ambassadors on that issue and try to find ways to bring change.  This post spotlights one of the topics covered by our Student Ambassadors:  Climate Change in Asia.

With the effects of climate change causing devastating drought and a population approaching 1.5 billion people China will undoubtedly face a formidable juggling act between expanding its economy, providing for its citizens and preserving its resources.
Mike Clarke/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

In recent weeks immense sandstorms have made news as they ravaged China’s provinces and left cities such as Hong Kong in a dense black pall. Besides the detriment to human health such extreme air pollution will undoubtedly deter foreign companies from establishing themselves in China and be an economic blow to the country.

Furthermore, many of China’s neighbors who share the Mekong River are blaming its hydroelectric dams for substantially exacerbating the drought sweeping much of Asia.  It is arguable how much the dams truly contribute to the drought but deforestation, overgrazing, and sprawl are all contributing factors to the mass desertification that is causing these sandstorms.

China is going to have to create innovative policies and use much ingenuity in order to sustain its population. Time and water are running out and many Chinese becoming increasingly desperate.

Photo: Chinatopix, via Associated Press

 

Student Ambassador reflection on helping Haiti

As part of the Student Ambassador program students are asked to give a personal reflection to currents affairs. Reflections are often inspired by personal events and showcase a student’s reaction to a global issue that they have witnessed, read or heard about. Below is an excerpt from a student reflecting on the recent crisis in Haiti and the implications of altruism from the US.

“I was in LA this weekend, and as we drove through the city, I saw two “Help for Haiti” signs in the space of five minutes. Interestingly enough, they were both on the big signs that stand over car dealers (one was for Honda, the other for Toyota), and they both wanted customers to help Haiti by buying their cars.

It just made me wonder: how sincere is our desire to help Haiti? And what exactly motivates us to do so?

The situation is terrible, and the stark images we see are pretty compelling. Enough reason to help out, wouldn’t you think? We’re all human beings; we are obligated to help each other. It’s simply human sense.

But here’s how I see it: we may be sending the help because it’s a humanitarian situation that needs as much help as it can get, but also to maintain our image and to meet expectations. When it comes down to it, are we really any better than the Chinese journalists who blocked a runway for a photo shoot in Haiti?

Don’t get me wrong — we are making a real contribution, and many people really are motivated by the intense suffering that is going on, as they should be.

And yet, are we, like the Toyota and Honda dealers, using this event to further our own goals? I’ve read a few articles recently on how not helping Haiti would severely damage the world’s perception of the US, and thus how it was unavoidable that we should help Haiti. Among the various articles I’ve read on Haiti was one by Mr. President himself, explaining how, in times of crisis, we help other countries — because that is what America does.

He was trying to say that America is an altruistic nation, but I think he also summed up the real situation. We often help other countries more for the sake of fulfilling expectations than for the sake of actually helping people in need.

Of course, like any blanket statement, that’s not going to be true for all individuals. Nor does the purity of the motive negate the benefit of what we are doing in other nations. I’m merely observing that, in times of crisis like these, we are moved by a need to help others, but also by a need to be seen in the “right” way by others.”

-Katie

What are your observations about the US response to the earthquake in Haiti?  Please comment.

 

Student Ambassador Reflection on the Congo

As part of the Student Ambassador Program, students are broken into Global Issues Groups.  These groups research a particular global issue, lead a workshop/presentation on their subject to the other student ambassadors and then engage in either service or try to educate the community on the issue.  Below, a student ambassador reflects on another group’s activity and how his group will present the complexities of his own global issue.

Excerpt 1:  As soon as the meeting started, we jumped into scheduled activities, and finished on time (an ambassador program first) to begin the “Climate Change in Asia” group’s activity. This activity turned out to be a climate change “Jeopardy” game, which was both fun and informative. I was actually very impressed with how well the entire presentation was executed, and hope that my group’s activity designated for January’s meeting will be of the same quality. After the activity and its follow-up discussion questions, we broke off into our groups and discussed our global issues; in the case of our group, we focused on preparing for our activity. Given the issue our group has chosen to explore–genocide in the Congo–we have some obstacles that other groups do not have to consider: firstly, our issue is one-sided in the sense that there is no real opposition to genocide prevention–almost anyone who is familiar with the issue is sympathetic to the plight of people caught in genocides. This narrows our discussion so that there is not much of a potential debate, but rather a focus on government policy and action. However, from this limitation comes another: how do we best raise awareness for the issue? Clearly, most (if not all) of the students in the ambassador program are at least familiar with the issue, likely more than the average American. But the atrocities committed in the Congo and the suffering of its people is not such a widely-known topic. Raising awareness is the focus of our group’s project.

Excerpt 2:  I found an article on the Human Rights Watch website (http://www.hrw.org/) about problems with refugees from the Congo–specifically, how the United States’ own program of removing refugees from life-threatening situations to make them permanent residents of the U.S. is backfiring, and in many cases ends up arbitrarily detaining these refugees when they are not able to get their “green cards”. For a multitude of reasons–ranging from poor English skills, a lack of knowledge about the U.S. legal system, few resources at their disposal, etc.–these refugees are unable to obtain their lawful permanent resident status. Frankly, this issue is rather dumbfounding to me; these people are being taken from one horrible situation in the hopes of improving their lives, and are quickly thrown into jail in the United States because of our own inability to help these refugees. It is possible to debate and discuss whether or not the United States should be directly involved in genocide prevention by sending peacekeeping troops into the country, but it is an entirely different issue about how to deal with refugees removed to our own country–there really is no debate. It is sad to think that we are unable to help refugees in our own country. This certainly requires a change in government policy (perhaps providing refugees with an instant LPR status?), and I think this topic would make a very good discussion question.

-Will