Poverty & MDGs Archives

Higher Temperatures, More Dengue

The spread of the virus that causes dengue fever has created an emergency situation for institutions, governments and scientists in Latin America seeking sustainable solutions for a health problem that could worsen as a result of climate change.

Civil Society Trial Finds Oil Corp Guilty in Colombia

By Helda Martínez

An “ethical and political trial on pillaging of natural resources” in Colombia condemned three foreign corporations, including Canada’s Pacific Rubiales Energy, which has dozens of oil and natural gas operations around the country.

Hard to Stay, Harder to Return

By Simba Shani Kamaria Russeau

After working in Thailand legally for four years, many Myanmar migrant workers are facing an uncertain future in the coming weeks as their visas expire. Tired of the lack of security, they want the Myanmar government to improve the current labour agreement with Thailand.

Bahrain’s Tamarod Is Here to Stay

By Nazeeha Saeed

On Aug. 14, the 42^nd anniversary of Bahrain’s independence from Britain, an online group called Tarmarod (“rebellion” in Arabic) officially joined Bahrain’s democracy movement that began in February 2011.

Musical Toilets for a Few While 2.5 Billion Lack Basics

By Thalif Deen

Even as the United Nations laments the fact that more than 2.5 billion people in the developing world are still without adequate sanitation, both Japan and South Korea have gone upscale: offering automated toilets and piped-in classical music.

Water Dispute Pits Communities Against Brewing Giant

By Edgardo Ayala

Josefina Escamilla was in the Salvadoran capital to protest against UK brewing giant SABMiller, whose local subsidiary plans to drill a new water well on land alongside her community that, she says, will cause water scarcity for local residents.

The World Trade Organisation after Eight Transformational Years

By Pascal Lamy

On Aug. 31, I will be stepping down after eight years as Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Swazi Chiefs Shut Women Out of Parliament

By Mantoe Phakathi

Archaic and chauvinistic practices are being used to prevent Swazi women from taking part in the upcoming primary elections, despite the country having a constitution that guarantees their rights, says political analyst Dr. Sikelela Dlamini.

Poor and Disabled When Disaster Strikes

By Lucy Westcott

Upon first glance, the emergency checklist distributed in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake looks like any other. Organised into key categories like water, sanitation and hygiene, and psychosocial support, the information is typical of the kind circulated for emergency response.

When Disaster Rains, Talk

By Amantha Perera

Gulam Rasul, chief meteorologist at the Pakistan Meteorological Department, was sure early this month that the second leg of the annual monsoon due in the latter half of the month was going to be bad. “Normally it peaks towards late August,” Rasul told IPS.

Sustainable Technologies Safeguard the Soil in Cuba

By Ivet González

The furrows are hard to make out in fields of the Finca de Semillas, a farm on Havana’s outskirts, because its administrators, Esmilda Sánchez and Raúl Aguilar, protect every centimetre of soil with mulch.

Norway Sets Example in Audit of Poor Countries’ Debts

By Carey L. Biron

Anti-poverty campaigners are celebrating the Norwegian government’s release of an external audit of all outstanding public debts it is owed by developing countries, the first time any country has undertaken such a process.

Ecological Cuban Recipes Boost Sustainable Agriculture

By Ivet González

Vilda Figueroa and her husband, José Lama, live in Marianao on the outskirts of Havana, where they share hundreds of recipes based on Cuban-grown foods and sun-drying, along with other ecological food preservation methods.

What Egypt Is Blind To

By Cam McGrath

Dina Gamal, whose 10-year-old son was born blind, says it is not him but Egyptian society that lives in the dark.

Killer Smoke Blows Through Pacific Islands

By Catherine Wilson

Governments in the Western Pacific Islands, believed to be home to a third of the world’s smokers, have begun a long battle with the growing crisis of non-communicable diseases. Such diseases currently account for 75 percent of the region’s fatalities.