Ending the Niger Hunger Crisis: A Look at Education

For the third time in just ten years, Niger is facing a food crisis. In fact, the entire Sahel region is in danger. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that nearly 15 million people face hunger and starvation across the Sahel this year alone. The organization is now asking for an additional $450 million to help those in need.

As another crisis in Africa flashes across the evening news, is the world getting tired of hearing the same sad story over and over? While some are simply turning a blind eye to the suffering, others are arguing for improved agricultural policies that foster innovation and development. Some blame the crisis on the unfortunate combination of climate change, failed crops and no rain. But before any real solutions are explored, it's important to first focus on the foundation of long-term growth and prosperity: education.

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Keeping Girls in School: Policies that Work

It's often said that one of the best indicators of a country's success is how girls and women are treated. This discrepancy can be seen most prominently in the differences in education among developed and poor regions of the world. For example, in sub-Saharan Africa more than half of girls do not complete even a primary school education (see report), while nearly 100 percent of girls go on to high school in the United States. Across the globe today there are approximately 130 million children out of school and 70 percent are girls.

It's clear that getting girls in school and keeping them there has significant benefits. Research shows educated girls grow into women that contribute greatly to their country's economic growth, raise the standard of living for their family, and even help slow the spread of disease. An educated girl will marry later in life, have fewer children, and help create a more peaceful and democratic society. 

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The Power of Social Media & Volunteering

Since the 1980s, the rate of volunteering has remained flat despite numerous, and rather costly, policies that aimed to increase public service. Even with record unemployment over the past few years, the volunteer rate has seen very meager increases, even for the unemployed.

While this may not be a cause for concern to some, it should be red flag for all of us. Especially for America's youth. Research shows that teens who volunteer and actively participate in the community are more likely to be civically engaged as they enter into adulthood. As more and more teens and young adults are stuck inside playing video games and surfing Facebook, this raises some questions about the future.

But maybe Facebook could be part of the solution. It's apparent that people are more likely to volunteer when they do so with friends or family members. So perhaps Mark Zuckerberg should consider expanding his social media site to include new ways for people to chart their volunteer hours. Or maybe a timeline tool that allows users to show which nonprofit organization they give their time to. 

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History of the LRA & Joseph Kony

Many of you have probably seen the "Kony 2012" video. It went viral recently as over 100 million people watched in shock and horror. Thanks to the efforts of Invisible Children, Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army got unprecedented worldwide attention.

Surprisingly, many people didn't know about the LRA or Joseph Kony, even though he has been terrorizing innocent civilians for the past thirty years. So I decided to put togeher an overview of the LRA's history. Although there is some debate on how it all began, I have done my best to compile a brief account with the most facts possible.

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Mexico's Drug War and Violence Against Women

Mexico has seen a massive increase in violence over the past several years. In fact, Ciudad Juarez is quite possibly the most dangerous place in the world, especially for women. But this is likely not something you will hear many details about on the evening news. 

The facts coming out of the city, also known as the murder capital of the world, are simply staggering. Since 2008 alone, Juarez has seen a record number of over 10,000 murders. That is 40 percent more than the US casualties in both of the Middle East wars combined. (See report)

Unforuntaly, much of the violence has been directed at women and young girls, many of which come to the city from rural communites seeking jobs at factories and assembly plants for a mere $5 a day. Rape, torture, and even beheadings are not uncommon for women who suffer from unimaginable violence and femicide at the hands of drug cartels. Some simply disappear into sex-trafficking rings. 

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