Www globalissues org issues articles

First discussion

1. Please review the following stats and facts: http://www.globalissues.org/TradeRelated/Facts.asp Which of the stats shocked you the most? Here are some additional factoids from http://measureofamerica.org/2008-2009-report/factoids/

2. Take the Poverty Quiz https://leap.mercer.edu/poverty/world-poverty/ Report on your score and knowledge of world poverty.

3. Our textbook notes:

“Despite the fact that the United States has virtually the highest GNP per capita in the world, it has higher levels of both absolute and relative poverty than other rich countries in Northern and Western Europe. It also has higher levels of relative poverty than just about all European countries” (Iceland, 2012, p. 69) Why do you think the US is lagging so far behind on both absolute and relative poverty measures? Make sure to cite the Iceland book.

4. a. Watch the movie “Poverty, Inc: Fighting poverty is big business, but who profits the most?” – you can rent it for $4.99 from Vimeo or look on Netflex.

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/povertyinc/155749915

You can also try using this link to watch Poverty Inc for free:

https://tubitv.com/movies/387154/poverty_inc

“From TOMS Shoes to international adoptions, from solar panels to U.S. agricultural subsidies, drawing from over 200 interviews filmed in 20 countries, Poverty, Inc. unearths an uncomfortable side of charity we can no longer ignore. “

4b. A few powerful lines from the film: “We don’t need one more celebrity doing one more campaign. What we need is to no longer be excluded.” And “No one wants to be a beggar for life.” Should we be saying “no” to donating to charity organizations?

4c.The possibility of change seems pretty bleak by the end of the film. What are the best ways to solve global poverty? Political movement? Education reform? Change in laws? Eradicating political corruption and greed? Other ideas?

Refer to the FAQ’s from the filmmakers - Michael Matheson Miller and Mark Weber for additional resources.

http://www.povertyinc.org/filmmaker-qa/

5. Choose one of the following inequalities that keep poor countries poor from the Global Issues website, summarize the information and discuss how that inequality impacts developing countries.

. World Hunger http://www.globalissues.org/article/8/solving-world-hunger-means-solving-world-poverty

Health Issues http://www.globalissues.org/issue/587/health-issues

· Gender and Population Issues http://www.globalissues.org/article/217/gender-and-population-issues

Clean Water http://www.globalissues.org/article/601/water-and-development

· Human Rights Issues http://www.globalissues.org/issue/137/human-rights-issues

Corruption http://www.globalissues.org/article/590/corruption

· Child Deaths http://www.globalissues.org/article/715/today-over-26500-children-died-around-the-world

Second discussions

1. (a) Read the following link from the Global Issues website: Third World Debt Undermines Development http://www.globalissues.org/issue/28/third-world-debt-undermines-development (b) List and describe the THREE causes of the Debt Crisis described by Shah.

2. Do you agree with the concept of "debt relief" or "debt forgiveness" for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC)?

3. Please watch the following video: Slum Survivors --Worldwide more than a billion people live in slums. As many as one million of them in the Kenyan slum of Kibera. Slum Survivors tells the stories of a few of them and charts their remarkable courage in the face of extreme poverty.

Transcript of the video can be located at: http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=74950 3 (a) What was the most surprising thing you learned about life in a slum? 3 (b) List some of the challenges faced by each of the main characters in the film: Carol, Dennis and Mburu how each person overcame them.

Excellent resource: Out of Order: The State of the World's Toilets 2017 https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Out%20of%20Order%20report%202017.pdf

4. Watch the following video:

Breaking Through Poverty with Microfinance -- Grameen Foundation (duration: 16 minutes) Synopsis -- For many of the world's poorest people, access to credit is their golden opportunity to forge a better life for their families with microfinance, a proven poverty reduction program. Since 1997, Grameen Foundation has been working across the globe to help them pull themselves from poverty by starting, sustaining or expand tiny businesses. Breaking Through gives you a glimpse of what this has meant for millions throughout Africa, Asia, the Americas and the Middle East. The documentary introduces you to our front line partners and some of the families whose lives have changed through microfinance. 4 (a) How does Microfinance work? 4 (b) Why is it believed to be the most powerful tool anti-poverty strategy ever? 4 (c) Why are women the targets of microfinancing and poverty programs?

5. Watch the following videos: Three Challenges for the Planet - Jeffrey Sachs October 22, 2008 ForaTV (5 min. 17) and Jeffrey Sachs Interview (7 min.) 5 (a) Do you agree with Jeffrey Sachs that it is possible to empower the poor?

Each source you cite in the paper must appear in your reference list; likewise, each entry in the reference list must be cited in your text. Remember each time you refer to any source in your post (ie. paraphrasing what you saw in the slum video) you must cite it. You should be citing the following sources in your post or else you are plagiarizing the authors:

· Shah website on debt

· The Slum Survivor video

· The Grameen video

· The Jeffrey Sachs interview