Inequality

Proposed cutbacks to nearly all nonmilitary spending in the Trump administration’s budget proposal have generated strong opposition from a range of groups. Cuts to teacher training and education grants agitate teacher unions; decreases to agricultural subsidies are criticized by congressmen representing farmers; disability advocates decry plans to tighten insurance criteria.

One proposed cut does not have a powerful U.S. advocacy group fighting against it — yet the money is one of the best ways of helping improve the lot of humanity.

Domestic violence is a human rights issue, a public health issue and an economic development issue.

In Haiti, evidence from confidential surveys suggests that domestic violence is a serious problem: it appears that around 273,200 women suffer from severe physical and/or sexual violence per year. This adds up to 9.4 percent of the population of 14- to 49-year-old women.

Premier Szwecji Stefan Löfven spotyka w tym tygodniu w Bergen swoich kolegów premierów Danii, Norwegii, Islandii i Finlandii, żeby przedstawić wspólne stanowisko wobec celów rozwojowych ONZ  (Sustainable Development Goals - SDG).

Niestety, szefowie rządów mają pomieszane priorytety.

In Haiti, as in most nations, social distortions and inequalities make it harder for women to participate in the labor market as much as men.

According to a study carried out by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Rights (MCFDF), women make up less than one-third of the formal sector. In addition to having less access to employment opportunities than men, women work in more precarious jobs and the income they generate remains lower. Women hold less than ten percent of management positions.

A verdadeira tragédia é que a melhor solução para a pobreza não custa nada. O crescimento económico generalizado sempre foi o caminho mais eficaz para reduzir a privação.

All Haitians are equal before the law. So says the Haitian Constitution. But in reality, access to justice can happen at different speeds for different people.

One reason is the lack of judges. During 2014-2015, there were just 63 trial judges for 8,046 people awaiting trial. Added to this fact, there is a lack of resources to properly operate the judicial and the prison systems. And, according to testimonies and expressions of public sentiment, corruption affects all levels of the judicial system.

Poverty is humanity’s cruelest affliction. If you are extremely poor, you can’t afford to avoid even the easily curable diseases that cause every sixth human death. Your lungs are likely to be filled with indoor air pollution, because, like 2.7 billion others, you cook and keep warm with fuels like dung and wood – with the same effect as smoking two packs of cigarettes every day. An inadequate diet makes your children grow up physically stunted and impairs their cognitive development, costing 4-8 IQ points on average.

Rampant inflation, food insecurity and the exchange rate affect many in Haiti. The reduction of poverty, which affects almost 60 percent of the population, is understandably a central goal.

In his first speech, President Jovenel Moïse spoke of “a Haiti where the inhabitants do not only struggle against poverty; a Haiti where everyone can find a better life.”

Seit Anfang 2016 gelten die nachhaltigen Entwicklungsziele der Vereinten Nationen. So ambitiös sie sind, so nutzenstiftend sind sie zugleich. Auch aus Anlegersicht sind sie interessant.

¿Cuáles son los mayores problemas a los que se enfrenta la humanidad? En cualquier parte del mundo en donde hago esta pregunta, escucho respuestas bastante similares: la falta de educación y oportunidades, la pobreza, la desigualdad, la violencia y la guerra, la degradación ambiental.

Pero estar de acuerdo en que existe un problema no es lo mismo que saber cómo solucionarlo. Cuando hablamos de gasto en desarrollo y de filantropía, es demasiado fácil malgastar el dinero —y perder oportunidades— porque esta importante distinción es ignorada.