MUSLIM YOUTH IN EUROPE

By: Kiley Hacker

Post 12

a) What struggles are unique to Muslim youth in Europe? In what forms does Muslim youth identity manifest itself in Europe? What role does discrimination play in the formation of Muslim youth identities?

Muslim youth in Europe can be looked at in a couple of different ways. For example, some Muslim youth see themselves as “at home” in Europe and use this as their main component of identity. They see the Western culture and lifestyles as compatible with Islam, therefore having no conflict between being Muslims and Europeans.

On the other hand, some Muslim youth still identify themselves with Islam first and foremost regardless of feeling comfortable in Europe. Islam is their way of life and they are often very involved in the Muslim community.

Although the two sides are different in the way they identify themselves in Europe, they both face certain struggles. One of the biggest struggles Muslim youths find themselves facing is trying to identify with the culture of their parents, but also being a part of Western society. Although it would be ideal to both respect their parent’s culture and also be a part of Western society, there is often discrimination the Muslim youth faces for being different. When these Muslims kids are in school, just like every kid across the world, they want to fit in and conform to the typical youth culture. This leads them to kid of stray away from their Muslim roots and servers as a form of rebellion. When Muslim youth are discriminated against, it only further pushes them away from their religious identity. As mentioned above though, this isn’t the case for all Muslim youth. Other young Muslims chose to “reaffirm their Muslimness”. However, some of these Muslim’s completely reject any other form of identification.

b) Compare and contrast the following patterns of Muslim-European interaction: assimilation, communitarianism, or new modes of integration. What does the reality look like, especially for the youth? Discuss.

After completing all of the reading in Islam, Europe’s Second Religion it has been made very clear to me how complex Muslim-European interaction is. These types of interactions can be discussed in terms of complete assimilation or “the development of communitarian structures that, in their extreme form, could be a type of de facto segregation” (Hunter, 273).

The assimilationists believe that Muslims should accept the political and cultural aspects of the country they are residing in or place they are citizens of. This does not mean that assimilationists don’t think these people should still practice Islam, but they feel as if Muslims should practice their religion privately.

Another form of Muslim-European interaction is communitarianism. Communitarians are both European and Muslim and “prefer Muslims to form cohesive communities, which can then enter into systematic dialogue with state and society” (Hunter, 273). Some Muslims even prefer to completely isolate themselves and follow strict Islamic rules.

Both of these patterns are consistent throughout Muslim-European interactions, but it is also important to note that the most important movement, especially for the youth, is “integration without complete assimilation”. That being said, there are many places in Europe that integrate both assimilationist and communalist tendencies. However, the philosophy of integration without complete assimilation is ideal for Muslim-European interaction in the future and that is why it is so important for the youth to understand how this works since they are the future. Basically what this “integration without complete assimilation” means is that it accepts legal and political aspects of their country of citizenship while also “reinterpreting” Islamic concepts in order to make Europe an ideal place for Muslims to reside. It allows Muslims to participate in the social and political life of Europe while also being able to practice their religion.

c) What is the diversity myth discussed by Malik? How does assimilation differ from multiculturalism? Give examples. What solutions does Malik propose to overcome the failure of multiculturalism?

The diversity myth discussed by Malik is that there is a large amount of diversity in Europe in recent years due to a large, and increasing amount, of immigration. While this myth has a little bit of truth to it, regarding the large amount of immigration, it is not true that Europe is as diverse as it is made to be because of the separation between identities. Diversity is supposed to be representative and inclusive of all people in both social and political matters. In reality, there is an extreme amount of racism and discrimination to people of “otherness”. This leads to a multiculturalism debate.

Multiculturalism is “a society that is particularly diverse, usually as a result of immigration, and the policies necessary to manage such a society” (Malik, 22). In the case of the diversity myth, it is not multiculturalism that is the problem, but rather the racism and discrimination associated with the different cultures.

Multiculturalism differs significantly from assimilation. As mentioned above, assimilation consists of making individuals conform to which ever new society that have chosen to be a part of. It basically aims to make people change who they are in order to have a society that is very similar. Multiculturalism on the other hand accepts individuals for who they are and their culture, and also make sure the correct policies are made in order to allow them to be who they are in a diverse society.

For a real life understanding of the differences between multiculturalism and assimilation, Malik discusses both France and Germany. France choses to treat everyone there as a citizen regardless of ethnicity, or race, or religion. This causes social divisions and makes certain individuals feel as if they can’t embrace their true identity. As for Germany, Malik uses an example of whenever a lot of Turks came in the 80’s. Germany decided to embrace of policy of multiculturalism and encourage the Turks to be comfortable expressing their culture, speaking their language, and continuing with their life-styles. There is also flaws in multiculturalism policies, for example, the Turks chose to never even learn German.

Malik offered a few solutions to the problems associated with both assimilation and multiculturalism. One of these solutions consists of having open arms to immigrants coming to Europe. Second, he believes that Europe should not disregard racism and make sure that everyone is treated equally. Lastly, he thinks there needs to be an equal balance of both multiculturalism and assimilation. So for example, embrace multiculturalism’s diversity, but also treating everyone as citizens through assimilation.

d) What is the gist of Sajan’s article? Do you agree or have other examples that back up his argument?

Sajan’s article is mostly concerned with the youths, specifically the 2^ndgeneration Muslim’s, involvement in terrorists attacks and how it is making Europe think about “what is wrong with Islam?” One of Sajan’s main arguments is that there isn’t enough political attention concerning social statuses of diverse ethnic groups. He thinks that a lot of these youths terror is due to the fact that they have a hard time finding their identity in a Western society while still practicing Islam.

I don’t necessarily agree with his argument stated above. My reasoning behind this is because there are many Muslim youth who have been able to find their identity in a Western society without committing terrorist attacks. While Sajan’s argument can very easily be a contributing factor, I believe there are many other factors that can contribute to someone committing such terror.

Intercultural confrontation and Immigration

Post Eleven

a)      Based on the article, Islam and the West: Narratives of Conflict and Conflict Transformation, discuss the story of intercultural confrontation and intercultural compatibility and how they affect conflict transformation.

After reading Islam and the West: Narratives of Conflict and Conflict Transformation, it became very clear to me that Muslims and Americans have a specific “image of the other”. These images lead to a cultural conflict between Islam and the West. Interactions between Muslim Middle East and America are then limited to these images we have of each other, in both political discussions along with economic transactions. In the article it states, “Though the narratives differ with respect to their invocation of historical facts, their overarching themes are so similar that we may refer to them as constituting a single “story” of intercultural confrontation” (Funk and Said, 4). These statements sets the stage for the following discussion of intercultural compatibility and how it affects conflict transformation.

These images of the other have led to many dehumanizing stereotypes as well as negative interactions that are related to specific perceptions of each other. Although this is not always the case between Muslim’s and Americans, it is focused on more than the positive encounters. These stereotypes eventually led to competition between Islamic and Western civilizations. These competitive narratives only led to a more clear sense of identity and values for Muslims.

Although Muslims obtain a greater sense of identity and values, Westerners have a certain image of the Muslim Middle East. They see it as “the land of harsh extremes”. The reason this is believed by the Westerners, is because of their unfamiliar rules and how Muslims are opposites of them. “This attitude comes complete with an array of images and associations that most Westerners would not regard as flattering, particularly in the areas of sexual morality, family life, crime, and public safety” (Funk and Said, 6). Basically, Westerners do not see themselves as compatible to Middle East Muslims.

The narrative for intercultural confrontation turns into one of “us vs. them”. This leads to conflict for both Muslims and Westerners, which has been happening for many years. This makes it very difficult for there to ever be a conflict transformation, due to the fact that these “images of the other” have been hardwired into the brains of Muslims and Westerners.

Overall, the way the Muslims and Westerners see each other, and have seen each other for a very long time, has created trouble in conflict transformation. These ideas of the “other” being a threat to each individuals culture has caused concern in regards to conflict and intercultural confrontation.

b)     What are the hard decisions about immigration according to Frum that need to be taken in the US. Do you agree? Is there a right level of immigration?

When discussing immigration in the U.S., a lot comes to mind. There are certain issues that are correlated with immigration, along with some positive impacts associated with it. For example, there are far too many immigrants entering our country causing social and political issues, but a large number of Noble Prizes are awarded to immigrants. While there are some positives and negatives associated with immigration, there are certainly some hard decisions that need to be made in terms of immigration.

Most of these problems are due to the fact that so many people want to migrate to America, and the number of these people will continue to get bigger. However, realistically, only a select few with actually be able to legally enter. So that is where these questions start to raise. Who gets to chose which people are allowed in the country? What are the rules? How are the rules going to be enforced? All of these questions need to be taken into consideration, but can be very difficult to answer, and is currently being handled by an array of policies. 

These policies make it extremely difficult for immigrants and often takes a very long time. So this leads to even more questions. Questions such as “how much [immigration]?” and “what kind”?

Frum starts to discuss “the right level of immigration”. He mentions how there are many people coming into America simply to just live here, while the number of people coming to study in America, about things like cancer research, are declining. So the question is, are the people coming here to study more deserving or “the right level of immigration”? 

In my own personal opinion, although hard to come to this conclusion, I believe migrants wanting to come to our country to study important issues should be have an easier process to enter legally. My reasoning behind this conclusion is because these individuals can study things, such as cancer, and eventually help our country and our people. I do however believe that asylum seekers can contribute to our society as well, but I just personally believe we should make it a more accessible and shorter process for people wanting to study here. 

Jihadi, sharia, and the musawah

Post Ten

1. Describe the historic foundation of the current fundamentalist “jihadi” movement.

The Islamic revolution of 1979 in Iran changed things. After the militant jihadis took down the Soviet Union, new nations were becoming Muslim. The militant fundamentalists are fighting to be known and also trying to establish a more “Islamic state”. These fundamentalists see the West as a threat to Islam and that is why this “jihadi” movement exists. These scholars who are a part of this movement believe Islam to be the absolute truth.

• What is sharia law? What are the main concerns of puritan fundamentalists when it comes to Islamic law?

“What goes under the rubric of sharia is mostly fiqh, classical jurisprudence, formulated in the Abbasaid period when Muslim history was in its expansionist phase, and incorporates the log of Muslim imperialism of the 8^th and 9^th centuries” (Sardar and Davies, 117). Basically, the sharia law is the Islamic law the fundamentalists strictly follow. However, according to the authors of The No-Nonsense of Islam, sharia can hardly be described as law. Their reasoning behind this will discussed further after understanding puritan fundamentalists.

As for puritan fundamentalists, they are commonly associated with the crime and punishment aspect of sharia. These are known as hudud laws. “A hudud punishment is the maximum and most extreme punishment that can be given for a particular crime” (Sardar and Davies, 118). Some examples of hudud punishments would be cutting of the hands of a thief, beheading culprits, and stoning adulterers. These types of fundamentalists see these kind of punishments as “proof” that they are enforcing the Islamic state. This means, that wherever the sharia (Islamic) law is there are also “medieval” and extreme punishments. The reason this can become a concern is become these fundamentalists are so obsessed with extreme punishment which can lead to extreme societies.

So, this is why the authors don’t believe sharia to be considered law. They say “law, by its very nature is dynamic and takes the moral evolution of humanity into full consideration” (Sardar and Davies, 118). As we just discussed, the extreme punishments do not take moral into consideration.

• Do you think Islamic law has always been consumed with “punishment?” What changed?

In my opinion, I do not believe that the Islamic law has always been consumed with punishment. From what it sounds like to me, after doing the readings on this specific topic, these fundamentalists became so obsessed with punishment because they wanted people to see them as obeying Islamic law. To me, it seemed like this Islamic law was just followed by Muslims because it is part of their religion, but I feel like things changed when the Muslim population got much bigger. Once surrounded with others who do not practice the Islam law, these fundamentalists were trying to prove themselves.

• What is the musawah organization about? What does musawah mean? What are some of their key messages? What is your assessment of this association?

The musawah (which translates to “equality” in Arabic) organization is a global movement fighting for equality in Muslim families. On their website they say “Musawah believes equality and justice in the Muslim family are necessary and possible. We work for the advancement of human rights for women in Muslim contexts, in both their public and private lives. The time for equality and justice is now!” 

This organization focuses on equality, non-discrimination, justice, and dignity. In order to do this, the musawah organization does a few different things. The first thing they do is share their knowledge through an approach that uses Islamic principles, international human rights standards, laws, and the realities of women. The next thing this organization does is connect people. This includes other organizations, groups, individuals, and then empower them to help with women’s rights. Lastly, the musawah organization engages internationally in order to advance equality in the Muslim family on an international, regional, and national level.

I personally believe this is a very important organization. The reason I find this organization to be so important, is because of the research I have done on Muslim women and all of the discrimination and inequality they face.

Muslim migration and integration

Post Nine

How do Zemni and Parker (ch.13) explain the “failure of integration” of Muslims in Europe? Why is the way Europeans think about integration and multiculturalism problematic in the discourse surrounding Islam and Muslims in Europe? Explain and give examples. 

When Zemni and Parker talk about the “failure of integration” of Muslims in Europe they are referring to the “failure to adopt styles and practices of daily life considered compatible with the norms of hegemonic national cultures” (Zemni and Parker). This is especially problematic in the discourse surrounding Islam and Muslims in Europe due to the fact that their daily practices and rituals are extremely different from the norms of European culture. The failure of integration is spoke about in terms of culture.

The culture throughout Europe is very important to the communities and that is why they see the integration of Islam and Muslims in Europe as a threat. They seem to have a certain suspicion about Muslim migrants not being able to accept and respect the “demands and responsibilities” of the secular European state and culture. The Europeans think about integration and multiculturalism as problem and a challenge to their norms, which leads to neglect of Muslims and Islam when discussing political and social issues. Although this is the common view throughout Europe, it is commonly overlooked that Islam can contribute to a “peaceful social and civic life in the host state” (Zemni and Parker).

What is your assessment of the Foreign Policy The Dispossessed article and the film My Escape? Does the comic do justice to the refugee situation? Is it a good analysis of the crisis? Does Islam play a role? Even if you only watched a part of the film My Escape what is your assessment of the film? What caught your attention?

After reading The Dispossessed article and watching the film The Escape, I was able to realize how intense and complex the process is to migrate to another country. The article and the film both gave me different perspectives of the journey that is taken. Both of these perspectives allowed me to get an even clearer understanding and visual of how difficult it is to migrate to a different country other than their home country. 

The Dispossessed article was both informative and entertaining. In the beginning of the article the readers are given a backstory of the main characters that are later featured throughout a comic. The backstory explains why these certain individuals have decided to flea from their home country.

We are introduced to Muhanid and Mohammed and his family and we are also introduced to Naela and her mother. We, as readers, are told that Muhanid and Mohammed are wanting to leave Syria due to the many risks that come with staying. Their hometowns were taken over by rebels and it was dangerous for them to stay there.

On the other hand, Naela and her mother were in hopes to escape Damascus after the war disintegrated their hometown. Naela’s younger sister had called them and told them that she was in the Netherlands and wanted Naela and her mother to come to Europe with her. They decided to make the journey.

Once the comic begins, we begin to realize how intense and hard the journey is for both Muhanid and Mohammed, and Naela and her mother, who end up on the same overcrowded ship. The comic then shows the many different obstacles and problems the immigrants make on their journey. Reading about this journey in a comic made it easier to understand the entire process of leaving your hometown and how you encounter many people, many issues, and have to spend a lot of money. 

Islam plays a role in this process as well. Their is an essential part of the comic that provides us with that information. When on the phone, Muhanid says, “hopefully God will not have mercy on you. Isn’t it haram to kill people just for an extra thousand dollars”. This reveals that Muhanid practices Islam, which probably made the journey even harder for him due to people being skeptical of Muslims and their religion.

Lastly, the film The Escape, gives a real-life visual of everything we had read about in The Dispossessed article. The film provides us with an even more realistic understanding of the whole process. One thing that specifically grabbed my attention from the film was the scene where all of the immigrants were together in a large group walking miles after miles in the desert. The reason this grabbed my attention is because it shows how intense and hard the process of “escaping” really is. The scene just really made me realize how hard and tiring the process is, just to be able to live in a safe environment. 

Islam in france and the Headscarf

Post Eight

a) Explain the historical background of the Muslim presence in France. Why does the Islamic community lag behind both economically and socially in France. Discuss.

There is no doubt that there is a very large number of Muslims in France. France actually has the largest Muslim population in Europe. So, when did this begin?
Shireen Hunter says, “This early presence of Muslims in relatively large numbers resulted from the extensive French colonial possessions in Muslim Africa; the special relations between France and Algeria, which, until independence in 1962, was considered not as a colony but as part of France; and the early recruiting of North African, and especially Algerian, labor for French industry and the army” (Hunter, 3).

Although the historical background behind Islam in France goes far back into time, the large number of Muslim communities is relatively recent. There are reasons for Muslims migrating to France, reasons that benefited both France and the Muslim communities. For France, in times of military conflicts or economic expansion, they needed more people for labor. For Muslims, they were tryiong to escape poverty and under-development.

This migration to France began during the First World War which was from 1914-1918, due to industrialization and mines. Muslims also began serving in the military with French soldiers.

Migration continued after the war as well because of the need for postwar reconstruction, requiring a large labor force. Most of these migrants were single men who were willing to put in the work that the French needed. These men weren’t originally planning on staying in France permanently, but we quickly learn that this changed due to the fact the immigrants were scared to leave because they thought they would never be able to come back. After the 70’s more women and children began arriving in France, and this is what made the population increase.

As for the social and economic conditions of Islam communities, they were divided from the French. One of the ways there are divided due to economic conditions, is through education. Many young immigrants drop out of school due to their economic position and living conditions. This is caused by economic conditions but ends up resulting in social division.

Another reason there is a division is due to Muslims socioeconomic status, which is much lower than the national average. “Unemployment among Muslims is more than double the national average, especially among the young, even including those who completed secondary education” (Hunter, 9). This is likely due to discrimination about their ethnicities.

b) How does the presence of Islam in France cause a challenge to the secular order? Is France’s secularism, or Laïcité, unique? Explain!

The Muslim presence “raised sharp debate about the relationship between Islam’s presence and the French secular ethos as well as disagreements about what Islam and secularism exactly mean, and it also led to classes on a number of issues” (Hunter, 21). These issues were due to the fact that Muslim’s wanting to continue practicing their religion in France, which then challenges the secular order in France. According to The New Republic, Laïcité is France’s “principles of secularism in public affairs, aimed at fostering a post-religious society” (Winkler, 2016). Basically, it gives the citizens and public institutions freedom from the influence of organized religion. This obviously poses a threat to both France and Islam communities, due to the fact of how significant religion is to Muslims.

c) Based on your readings and research, why is the headscarf seen by some (many?) as a threat to Western culture?

In order to further assess this topic, there is a specific incident that happened in France’s public school that provides an example of why the headscarf is seen as a threat. Three female students went to school wearing their Islamic headscarves. This required conflict because it was seen as an act to attempt to convert someone’s religious beliefs to their own in a public sphere. This conflict was challenged by many even though a significant number of French natives felt threatened.

There are many other cases of discrimination due to women wearing their headscarf, including ban on headscarves. In The Politics of the Veil Scott believes these bans represents the idea that modernization should be challenged.

After more research on this topic, I quickly realized that a lot of Western cultures sees the headscarf as threat because they feel as if it is a political statement. They see it as a complete rejection and disapproval of Western culture. Although this is often not the case, it is a very common assumption in Western cultures.

References:

Winkler, E. (2019). Is it Time for France to Abandon Laïcité?. Retrieved from https://newrepublic.com/article/127179/time-france-abandon-laicite

ISlam in europe

By: Kiley Hacker

Post Seven

What are some of the myths about Muslims in Europe that Justin Vaisse discusses?

When talking about Muslims in Europe it is very important to make sure you know some basic information about Islam in order to fully understand some of the issues, misunderstandings, and challenges Muslims and Europeans face.

In order to provide readers with more information about Islam in Europe, Vaisse addresses some myths about Muslims. The first myth he addresses is that “being Muslim constitutes a fixed identity, sufficient to fully characterize a person” (Vaisee 2008, 1). This means that people wrongly assume that Muslims are most characterized by their religion rather than other identities. This is inaccurate and Vaisse provides examples in order to back up this claim. For example, Vaisse examples that the “Muslim riots in France” were not related to Islam, but rather related to the immigrant identities that were associated with them when moving to Europe.

Another myth is that “Muslims in Europe are, in one way or the other, inherently foreign, the equivalent of visiting Middle-Easterners who are alien to the “native” culture” (Vaisee 2008, 2). It is explained that this is very inaccurate due to the fact that Muslim elements have been a part of European culture since the 8^th century.

A myth that personally bothers me is “Muslims in Europe form a distinct, cohesive and bitter group” (Vaisse 2008, 2), in the words on a Foreign Affairs article. Vaisse talks about how there isn’t any unity when it comes to Muslim communities in Europe. To say that these “groups”, which don’t actually exist, are bitter, is ignorant and misleading.

The last myth about Muslims that Vaisse mentions is that “Muslims are demographically gaining on the native population” (Vaisse 2008, 2). This myth is due to the assumption that because immigrant groups generally have higher birthrates, Muslims are significantly gaining on “natives”. The reality is that these groups of people, and their birthrates fall rapidly once they start conforming to the national norm.

Why is it important to make a distinction between the religious and political dimensions of Islam?

When discussing Islam, people often assume that there is no difference between politics and religion. This is simply not true, and it is very important to understand the distinction between the two, especially when we begin to discuss Islam in Europe. The distinction between religion and politics should be drawn by understanding the difference between worship and social affairs. These distinctions were originally made and attested to by philosophical works of Muslims during the Middle Ages.

When it comes to worship, Muslims are strictly required to do what they are prescribed. This means that in order to do pray they would have to know exactly how to perform the prayer by reading it in text. As for social affairs, it is different. Muslims can do whatever they want to do in regard to social affairs as long as it “does not contradict a prescribed principle” (Ramadan, 211). So in other words, they wouldn’t be able to something if it is in a reliable text explaining why it is not permissible.

The reason it is important to make these distinctions is because it explains that Muslims will continue to believe in and worship Islam, but are also open to take what is good from other cultures as well, as long as they are not going against their faith and universal principles. This means that they are open to the politics of Europe while also remaining faithful to their religion.

What kind of challenges do education and social rifts in Europe bring to Muslim communities of Europe? What does Ramadan suggest Muslims should do in face of such challenges? Ch 11

When discussing education in Europe Ramadan suggests that Muslims are just as interested in the issue of schooling just as much as any other citizens. He says that “the school system as a whole, teaching curriculum, and life at school are social issues and must involve all the actors in society” (Ramadan, 216). His suggestion to solve these issues is for everyone in European societies come together, despite faith or spirituality, in order to solve these issues within the education system.

Another challenge is social rifts. “European societies are going through deep social and economic crises” (Ramadan, 216). Unemployment and social inclusion are factors that are leading to racism and xenophobia that are often associated with immigrant populations, such as Muslim’s. Similar to Ramadan solution for education, he believes everyone needs to work together in order to work towards a social reform that will provide greater justice for citizens.

The Muslim communities need to “acquire the confident feeling that they are at home and then they must be more involved within European societies” (Ramadan, 217). This will help them feel equal in society and allow them to be fellow citizens within the society, rather than against.

Pros and cons of aid

Post Six

By: Kiley Hacker

Chapter 10 talks about the debate on pros and cons of development aid with leading economists Jeffrey Sachs (Columbia University) and William Easterly (NYU) pitted against each other. Each side has valid points. After reading for a few weeks about the issue of ending poverty, what is your take on this debate.

William and Easterly and Jeffrey Sachs have opposing views to say the least. William Easterly has an institutionalized view where he believes in development economics and emphasizes the importance of the political process. He feels as if there should be no foreign aid and that these countries should be given the freedom to help themselves and find their own ways to success. On the other hand, Jeffrey Sachs sees corruption in these institutions, which creates an extreme amount of inefficiencies and results in poverty traps. Sachs believes in foreign aid and want to make the people in developing countries less poor by focusing on aid that has specific goals.

What makes this debate so tricky is the topic of economic institutions. On one side of the argument they can be very beneficial and help society prosper, while on the other side of the argument they can also do the exact opposite. As far as my own personal opinion, I believe these economic institutions create more damage than they do well. One of my reasons behind this belief is due to the people in control of these institutions. A lot of the time, these leaders aren’t necessarily worried about the society as much as they are worried about bettering their institution under any circumstances, making more money, and staying in power. It becomes a never ending process that eventually involves political institutions to make them rich as well. It is a continuous cycle that is very hard to end. This isn’t beneficiary or helpful to the society, and is one of the main reasons developing countries have not prospered.

I agree with Sachs that corruption is a huge problem when it comes to developmental aid. For example, when implementing certain policies and systems, the intentions of them are always good. However, corruption of these systems is what results in the poverty traps. This is especially apparent in countries that are in extreme poverty. They have a lack of information, history of government failures, and the government has no money to pay for a lot of the services they need. Although there are arguments and propaganda about why this can lead to failure in developmental aid, it comes down to the fact that some aid can be wasted, but other aid can be extremely beneficial to developing countries. And to me, that is all that matters.

I believe that it very hard to make everything work perfectly, but as long as there are people benefiting from these efforts, then it is making an effective and positive impact on societies in poverty. Also, after figuring out which systems, policies, and aid do work, we can then start to spend more of our money on things that have proven to be helpful. Sachs also mentions how aid is a tiny portion of the Federal Budget. So, in my opinion, paying a small price, compared to other things we spend our money on, for helping a lot of people is worth it. Like I mentioned above, aid has good intentions. It supplies things like medicines, technology, transportations, schooling, and many more. All of these things have the intentions of helping people, it is the corruption of institutions that needs to be looked out for.

B) Reflect on the last weeks’ readings on the SDG goals #1 end poverty in all forms everywhere and goal #2 end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture. Do Banerjee and Duflo address these issues sufficiently? What are policy measures that seem to work? What needs are addressed and are the global measures taken sufficient?

Throughout Poor Economics Banerjee and Duflo address the issues of the SDG’s of ending poverty and ending hunger quite sufficiently. They provide many different viewpoints about how these things can be succeeded while also providing examples of things that don’t necessarily work. Some of the things that Banerjee and Duflo believe to be helpful in ending poverty includes educating the citizens, providing new jobs, improving urban and industrial infrastructure, and providing better transportation.

They also address the second SDG about hunger in various different ways. They mention how people in poverty don’t have very much food, but they are also not getting a good intake of calories or micronutrients whenever they do get to eat. There are a few different policy measures that Banerjee and Duflo mention throughout the book that aim to help with these SDG’s. For example, they believe in microcredits (to an extent), savings and banks, specific government aid, and insurance. Although they mention a few policies that seem to work, they make it very clear that it is impossible for policies to work without the correct implementation of them. In order for all of this to work, they mention how the issues that are associated with institutions needs to be brought to attention and monitored in order for them to provide help without corruption.

REFERENCES

BostonGlobe.com. (2019). The ethics and practicalities of foreign aid – The Boston Globe. [online] Available at: https://www.bostonhttps://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2017/03/12/the-ethics-and-practicalities-foreign-aid/lMmOVkMJdIzsByLLOGl0zL/story.html [Accessed 5 Mar. 2019].

Microcredit and Digital Technology

Post Five

By: Kiley Hacker

• What is the basic argument for and against micro-credits that Banerjee and Duflo make? Do you agree with them?

According to Investopedia a microcredit is “an extremely small loan given to impoverished people to help them become self-employed” (“Microcredit”, 2019). Banerjee and Duflo believe that microcredits are just one way to help the poor when it comes to long-term goals.

It is mentioned throughout Poor Economics that the poor are “natural-born entrepreneurs” and sometimes just need a little bit of help from microcredits and microfinances. Banerjee and Duflo provide us with examples of how microfinances have benefited clients. They mention the story of a trash collector who collected loans and was eventually making more money while also being an organizer of trash collection. With that being said, Banerjee and Duflo also mention stories about how some of these small businesses that are receiving loans aren’t making much money at all. They talk about how these poor businesses never become successful enough to have employees or have the assets they need in order to grow as a bigger business.

Banerjee and Duflo argue that these businesses are barely making any profit and that this explains why microcredit does not necessarily make a big transformation in the poor clients lives and welfare. Although there are positives and negatives to microcredit, I feel as if these microcredit loans aren’t as beneficial to the poor as they seem. From what I read in Poor Economics, it sounds like these people are working very hard on a business that they aren’t necessarily making enough money to take them out of poverty. On the contrary, I do believe it is a step in the right direction, but more could possibly be done in order to provide more assets for these entrepreneurs to become more successful.

• Are micro-credits working in your assigned country? Do you agree with its limits?

After research on microcredits in my assigned country, I found a google site that talks about many different clients that have received loans to foster their businesses. They talk about a woman name Nelly Niagira who has received microcredit in order to develop a profitable business plan for her decorative cloth business, a man named Pierre Ndikumana who has been able to expand his tailoring business into a public shop, and many other entrepreneurs in Burundi who have benefited from microcredits in the retail business. With Burundi being one of the poorest countries in the world, I find it inspiring to read these success stories about microcredits. What is happening in your country with micro-credits or any other way to handle money, savings, trade?

All of the success stories mentioned above are due to the efforts of teaming up with a Microfinance Agency called CAV-Ishaka. This agency has a staff with education in banking, microfinance, psychology, and accounting. It is a non-governmental organization that was certified by the Central Bank of Burundi. This agency desperately wants to help Burundi, especially due to troubles they have been put through because of the civil war. Their goal is to not only provide loans for these individuals, but to also “train and manage the clients, moderating business accountability groups, prep loan agreements and provide banking service for the clients” (“+ Burundi – Microcredit Empowerment Fund”, 2019).

Reflect critically: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2018/02/13/the-road-to-ending-poverty-runs-through-31-severely-off-track-countries/

Is digital technology making a difference? – [you need to do research to answer this question; first you need to explain what digital technology entails and then look at the ramifications]

In order to get a better understand of what digital technology was, I found multiple definitions on IGI Global. The one that made the most sense in terms of reducing poverty was that digital technology is “any information used on a computer that can enhance the level of creativity and distribution of information” (What is Digital Technology, 2019). According to the 2010 Information Economy Report from the UNCTAD (UN Conference on Trade and Development), digital technology is the key to reducing global poverty. The whole Report talks about ICT or information and communication technology. This includes things like mobile connectivity, access to personal computers, internet use, radio access, and how these things are used by enterprises and poverty alleviation. The report mentions how ICT can offer jobs and income-generating opportunities and facilitate and sustain more widespread use throughout the rest of the economy. So, I would have to agree that digital technology is making a difference in defeating world poverty.

Read this article from 2017 and watch the video – do you agree?

Although this article and video make good points, I think it is kind of unreasonable to say that “Africa is rich”. My reasoning behind this is due to the extensive amount of research we have already done on the extreme amount of poverty in Africa. The article makes a point that there approximately 165,000 very rich Africans, but this does not count for the millions of people in Africa that are living in extreme poverty. The money that is given to these people for aid and help in their economy in beneficial and I don’t agree with the statement that Africa is rich and that we are making it poorer.

References:

Banerjee, A., & Duflo, E. (2012). Poor economics. New York: PublicAffairs.

+ Burundi – Microcredit Empowerment Fund. (2019). Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/a/gsmusa.org/microcredit-empowerment-fund/burundi/burundi

Dearden, N., & Dearden, N. (2019). Africa is not poor, we are stealing its wealth. Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2017/05/africa-poor-stealing-wealth-170524063731884.html

Microcredit. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/microcredit.asp

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. (2010). Retrieved from https://unctad.org/en/docs/ier2010_embargo2010_en.pdf

Cheetah’s in Burundi, Democracy, and Health Investments

Blog Post Four

By: Kiley Hacker

Find a ‘cheetah’ in your assigned country (person or organization) and show his/her/its work that helps the country move towards protection of human rights, free speech, systems of accountability, reducing poverty, etc.

While there are a handful of humanitarian aid groups working in Burundi to try to help with a range of issues across the country, there is a specific network in Burundi that focuses on business and entrepreneurship as a way of helping the community. This network is called The Young African Leaders Initiate (YALI). On their website I discovered a man named Patrick Bizoza who is a member of the YALI organization and founder of an organization called the Youth Initiative Development. Patrick focuses on engaging his community in entrepreneurial activities. Patrick says, “we focus on the economic empowerment, education, youth, women empowerment, and health department” (“Country of the Week: Burundi | Young African Leaders Initiative Network”, 2019). In order to focus on these topics he prepares and presents youth workshops that focus on combatting the systemic issues of poverty by providing business training with his friends and local neighbors. There are many other members of The Young African Leaders Initiative who help Burundi in other ways as well. For example, there are other leaders who focus on client change educators and environmental advocates.

Chapter 3 of Radelet’s Emerging Africa talks extensively about democracy building as well as discusses how one defines democracy, what is elemental and how are democracies ranked and judged. How does your country rank? Explore the following sites and answer the questions

The country of Burundi is one of the “least free” countries in the world. When searching through the Freedom in the World 2019 website, it was shown that on a 7 point rating scale, with 7 being least free and 1 being most free, Burundi scored a 6.5 in freedom rating, 7/7 in political rights, and 6/7 in civil liberties.

What are current news in your country? Check http://allafrica.com/, the largest aggregate online news provider in Sub-Saharan Africa

Although I didn’t find very compelling news stories about Burundi on the all Africa site that was provided, I found a different website with stories about Burundi relatable to human rights. In an article on News 24, it is mentioned that rights activists were sentenced to 10-year terms for “undermining state security” (Burundi acquits rights activists sentenced to 10-year terms”, 2019). The charges were later acquitted luckily, but the fact that they were sentenced in the first place for simply stating their opinions on human rights shows how Burundi is not free when it comes to political rights.

What are effective health investments? Ch 3

There are quite a few health investments that are beneficial to countries that are stuck in the health poverty trap. One of these investments that seems to be effective is investments in malaria long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets. In Chapter 3 Banerjee and Duflo mention that “one study on malaria eradication in the U.S South and several countries in Latin America suggests that a child who grew up malaria-free earns 50 percent more per year, for his entire adult life, compared to a child who got the disease” (Banerjee and Duflo 2012, 45). Investing in bed-nets can result in a higher average income in these poor countries. Other effective health treatments include access to clean water and sanitation. Having this access can produce a dramatic increase on overall health. Along with bed nets and more access to water and sanitation, there are a few more smaller-scale health investments. This includes immunizations, deworming drugs, tetanus shots for pregnant women, and providing vitamins such as Vitamin B, iron pills, and iron-fortified flour against anemia.

References:

Banerjee, A., & Duflo, E. (2012). Poor economics. New York: PublicAffairs.

Burundi. (2019). Retrieved from https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2019/burundi

Burundi acquits rights activists sentenced to 10-year terms. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.news24.com/Africa/News/burundi-acquits-rights-activists-sentenced-to-10-year-terms-20181227

Country of the Week: Burundi | Young African Leaders Initiative Network. (2019). Retrieved from https://yali.state.gov/burundi/

EMERGING AFRICA, ICT EXPLOSION, AND BURUNDI

By: Kiley Hacker Post Three

–Explain the meaning of a “Cheetah” and a “Big Man” also called the cheetah generation and the hippo generation? (Ch. 7 and 3 from last week’s reading) Explain how these terms refer to a different way of looking at democracy and civil society?

The “Cheetah generation” is considered “a new generation of leaders and entrepreneurs rising to the top of the government bureaucracies, civil society organizations, and businesses”. They have also been known as “Africa’s new hope” and “Africa Two”. The Cheetah generation is trying to take over Africa’s government by replacing old practices with new, and better ways of doing things. Their goal is to “redefine Africa through democracy, transparency, and a dynamic private sector, and by fostering strong connections with each other and with the rest of the world”. The “hippo generation” is basically the opposite of the Cheetah generation, the old way doing it. The hippo generation focuses more on “transparency, accountability, good governance, respect for basic human rights, and private sector economic opportunities”. Although they are focused on the old way of doing things, their ideas and ways are slowly being replaced by the Cheetah generation.

–Is Radelet’s positive view in Chapter 6 on the African ICT explosion valid and sustainable? What are challenges?

In Chapter 6, Radelet discuses information and communications technology (ICD) and the rapid expansion of this technology. Radelet believes that this technology can be used to get people out poverty and help change the economy of Africa. Although Radelet presents many ways technology can help citizens in Africa, it is not very realistic. The problem I see with ICD in Africa, is the expenses of this technology. Many parts of Africa are still extremely poor, barely affording enough food to survive. How are they supposed to pay for a phone or internet access? Another challenge that could arise with this technology is the people of Africa not knowing how to use this new technology. This will require someone to teach them, and if someone is not available to do so, the technology is close to pointless.

Part II: explore one country as assigned in class

–reflect on Banerjee/Duflo’s Chapter 1:  Is it possible to get trapped in poverty? What are poverty traps? Which ones are present in your assigned country?

In Chapter 1 of Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty, Banerjee and Duflo inform us that is possible to get trapped in poverty by what economists call “poverty traps”. A poverty trap means exactly what it sounds like! Countries in poverty have many things that prevent them from being productive, like the heat and malaria. The only way to help with these things is to pay for investments, but they are poor, so they can’t. Without the help, not much can happen to help these problems and it becomes an endless cycle.

The country I have been assigned is Burundi. After research on Burundi I quickly learned that one of Burundi’s issues and poverty traps is the shortage of land for the large population. Another poverty trap Burundi faces is the constant civil war against the Hutu National Liberation Forces and the Tutsi-dominated Burundian army. This war also leads to the smuggling of illegal weapons throughout the country. In an article on BBC news they mention that “international donors are reluctant to pump development money into a conflict-ridden country like Burundi, but after years of war, they end up having to fun expensive peacekeeping operations”(“BBC NEWS | World | Africa | Africa diary: Burundi’s poverty trap”, 2019). The growing population and war is pushing Burundi further and further in to the poverty trap and it will only continue to get worse if something is not done to fix these issues.

–Use the World Bank data website http://data.worldbank.org/ and report on the progress of the SDG #1 in your assigned country and region. Find other tools to explore the economic and political situation (PPP, GINI, etc.). Also check out Banerjee & Duflo’s website and their chapters 1 & 2 (assigned readings) that give specific info on some countries (not all links work): http://www.pooreconomics.com/data/685

According to the World Bank data website, Burundi has made very little change in their poverty levels. To get a feel for Burundi, I found some statistics on their poverty levels from “Trading Economics”. It is reported that the poverty gap at $2 a day (PPP) is 53.64% and the GINI Index is 38.6, with 7.1 million people at $1.90 a day (2011 PPP) https://tradingeconomics.com/burundi/gini-index-wb-data.html.. Not only have they made very little progress, but they are also one of the poorest countries in the world. According to an article on “Quartz Africa”, they are also one of the hungriest nations in the world. “The apparently decent 4% to 4.5% growth of Burundi’s GDP in the past years is dwarfed by a population growth above 3%. The number of mouths to feed keeps growing very fast and the GDP per capita has not grown more than 1.5 % in the best of the past years”(“Burundi’s political crisis is making one of the poorest countries on earth even worse off”, 2019). To make these issues even worse, Western donors have started cutting support and aid to Burundi which is posing a major threat due to the fact that Burundi’s budget relies 49% on aid.

Is Human capital an issue in your country?

On a positive note, human capital in Burundi seems to be increasing. In a graph found on an “Economic Research” website, it is shown that the Index of Human Capital per Person for Burundi, based on years of schooling and returns to education, has been continuing to increase since the 1980’s. To check out this graph just click on this link! https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/HCIYISBIA066NRUG

References:

BBC NEWS | World | Africa | Africa diary: Burundi’s poverty trap. (2019). Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3713514.stm

Burundi Gini Index. (2019). Retrieved from https://tradingeconomics.com/burundi/gini-index-wb-data.html

Burundi’s political crisis is making one of the poorest countries on earth even worse off. (2019). Retrieved from https://qz.com/africa/508774/burundis-political-crisis-is-making-one-of-the-poorest-countries-on-earth-even-worse-off/

GDP, PPP (constant 2011 international $) | Data. (2019). Retrieved from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.PP.KD?locations=BI

Good News in Africa and Millennium Villages

By: Kiley Hacker

Blog Post 2:

a) What are the factors that classify as good news in Africa according to Radelet?

According to Radelet in Emerging Africa – How 17 Countries are Leading the Way, he mentions many different factors that can be considered good news in Africa. Although this does not include all of Africa, he mentions seventeen different emerging African countries that seen a great deal of improvement throughout the years. From what I took away from this reading, was that a lot of this improvement had to do with getting rid of the dictatorship they were used to in the past that continued to cause a great deal of conflict. Democracy began to rise in Africa, and improvements were seen left and right. This deepening democracy led to several accomplishments including economic growth, better leadership, less poverty, new investment opportunities along with more trade, paid off debt, and improved health and education. This is all very good news for Africa, especially when trying to combat the negative view Africa gets from the rest of the world. In order to prove some of these successes and accomplishments Radelet focuses on countries like Ghana, Mozambique, Mali, Tanzania, and Cape Verde. These countries have all been “growing away from the political and economic decline and political decay commonly associated with Africa”.

b) Exploring the Millennium Villages Project

The Millennium Villages Project was put into effect in order to combat all of the challenges associated with extreme poverty in a variety of areas and different locations. These areas include agriculture, education, health, infrastructure, gender equality, and business development. In order to try to combat all of these different areas and problems associated with poverty, the Millennium Villages Project focuses on “fighting at the village level through community-led development”. These efforts go hand-in-hand with achieving the Millennium Developmental Goals.

c) Choose two villages and explore them

Koraro, Ethiopia

Why was that particular village chosen?

I personally chose to further educate myself on Koraro, Ethiopia specifically because I had always heard about Ethiopia, but was clueless about any villages within. After researching further, I realized it was not at all what I was expecting and only further interested me.

What is the goal for that village?

This village is very poor, prone to severe drought, “suffers from a severely degraded soil, high malaria and maternal mortality rates, lack of classrooms, unsafe drinking water, and extremely poor infrastructure”. Traveling throughout the 11 village span is very difficult, which is major problem considering the villagers have to walk an extensive amount to obtain things needed for survival. With the Millennium Villages Project, all of these problems are part of the goal to be fixed.

What successes or failures have been recorded?

According the Millennium Villages website, a lot of these problems mentioned above have seen improvement. Income sources have become diversified, women were trained to manage dairy cows, poultry productions, and trading, along with “Girls’ Clubs established in schools. There was also construction done in order to create more health posts and primary schools. The problem with unsafe drinking water was combated and over 6,000 people who had to walk more than two hours for water are now ensured it is safe to drink. Lastly, more than 20km or roads have been made or are still being made, leading to easier transportation across the 11 villages.

What do the critics say?

While the above accomplishments were found on the Millennium Village website, there was an article written by David Andrews, Lodewyk Erasmus, and Robert Powell (https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2005/09/andrews.htm) who mention that “Ethiopia will not meet any of it’s UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) except for the target on primary school enrollment”.

Look at the countries’ GDP, GNP, WDI, HDI, to evaluate each village

According the article mentioned above, the weather has had a huge impact on the overall GDP of Ethiopia, “achieving growth of 7 percent a year on average without addressing the underlying causes of variability implies significantly higher growth in nondrought years”. The chart below gives an idea of how the weather has an affect on overall economic growth.

How are local, national, and global issues addressed and involved?

The article Ethiopia: Scaling Up also talks about how donor countries have been trying to help and target Ethiopia with assistance due to “it’s size and potential for growth”. While these focuses are mostly on Ethiopia as a whole, the United Nations specifically chose Koraro to be a test village.

What do I think?

While the Millennium Villages website seemed to have outlined many accomplishments, it seems as if the country is still in an extreme amount of poverty. Although these accomplishments are saving lives and helping people I believe there is still a lot more work to be done as far as ending poverty goes. With that being said, any accomplishment should be noticed and praised.

Mbola, Tanzania

Why was this particular village chosen?

My reasoning behind picking Mbola, Tanzania to further research was due to reading about Tanzania in Radelet’s Emerging Africa. Throughout that reading Radelet mentioned a lot of accomplishments that were achieved in Tanzania and I was curious to see how much of this change was associated with the Millennium Villages Project in Mbola.

What is the goal for this village?

Along with Koraro, travel is also very difficult in the Mbola cluster which also has led to suppression in the development of local markets. Along with these issues, “Mbola faces a high rate of environmental degradation resulting from poor crop management practices, declining agricultural production and destruction of the Miombo woodlands for fuel wood used in the tobacco industry”. Along with all of that, there is very poor infrastructure of health and education. All of these thing are looking to be combatted by the Millennium Villages Projects.

What successes or failures have been recorded?

According to the Millennium Villages website, Mbola has received loans to famers in order to set up businesses. A health center and a couple schools were refurbished leading to a higher school attendance and increased academic performance. As far as the deforestation goes, tree nurseries were planted. All of these things are on the right track to helping Mbola, but there is much more that can be done.

Look at the countries’ GDP, GNP, WDI, HDI, etc. to evaluate each village.

In order to get a better understanding of the country, I did research on the GDP per capita in Tanzania. It was last recorded at 900.52 Us dollars in 2017. According to “Trading Economics”, this was an all time high for Tanzania. In comparison, Ethiopia’s GDP per capita in 2017 was 767.56 USD. This information gives an insight to the economic growth Tanzania has been experiencing.

What do I think?

While it is shown that Tanzania’s economy has been increasingly getting better, I didn’t notice or find much improvement in the specific village of Mbola. It makes me wonder how much the Millennium Villages Project is actually doing for the village instead of the country as a whole.

References:

Ethiopia GDP per capita. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://tradingeconomics.com/ethiopia/gdp-per-capita

Finance and Development. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2005/09/andrews.htm

Koraro, Ethiopia. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://millenniumvillages.org/the-villages/koraro-ethiopia/

Mbola, Tanzania. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://millenniumvillages.org/the-villages/mbola-tanzania/

Steven Radelet Emerging Africa – How 17 Countries are Leading the Way       

Tanzania GDP per capita. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://tradingeconomics.com/tanzania/gdp-per-capita      

Blog Post 1:

a) Jacqueline Novogratz in her TED talks brings up the question on how to define poverty. What is her answer? What is her main message? Find at least one other TED talk on this subject and reflect on it.  Do you agree or disagree with the message?

Throughout Jacqueline Novogratz TED talks she focuses a lot on how connected the world actually is and what aid is and can be. In order to define poverty, she talks about how 4 billion people make less than $4 a day. She mentions how the things people do and the incentives people take truly matter in the way it affects others. Jacqueline says that although there has been success in the money contributed to Africa, there are still many things that need to be done regarding poverty. Her suggestion to end poverty is to “build viable systems on the ground that deliver critical and affordable services to the poor in ways that are financially sustainable and scalable”.

Another Ted Talk I personally found interesting about poverty. It is talked about by Michael Metcalfe and is call “The quest to end poverty”. It is all about how money is needed for aid and how to get this money. Metcalfe talks about how central banks created their own money and how this can be used as a solution through “Print Aid”. This idea is that central banks are to match government aid. While I believe this is a good idea and possible solution, I feel as if it can be risky and hard to make possible.

• 

b) What is the vision, the goal of the SDGs? What is the effect of neo-liberalism (cutting government spending promoted by the World Bank and IMF)?

The vision of the SDGs, or Sustainable Development Goals, are ultimately designed to better this planet and the lives of the people on it. There are 17 goals that all aim to end poverty and hunger along with an increase in health and education, equality, a clean planet, and partnership goals. All of these goals rely on global partnerships and an intense amount of funding. Neo-liberalism often focuses on government spending, but without this spending these goals can be very hard to obtain. There is a real conflict between neo-liberalism and sustainability goals.

c) John McArthur in Own the Goals talks about “Players on the Bench”. Who are they and what does he criticize?

In the article Own the Goals John McArthur uses the term “Players on the Bench” to describe the people/institutions that weren’t exact on board with the Millennium Development Goals. The people he uses as examples include U.S. President George W. Bush, State Department officials, and the World Bank. McArthur criticizes these individuals for a few different reasons. Although Bush didn’t directly support the MDGs, mostly because he viewed them as UN-dictated aid, he had still largely helped with AIDS relief in the developing world. This was considered an MDG effort, but Bush didn’t explicitly link this to these goals. Without doing so, McArthur criticizes that the United States “missed an opportunity to highlight its contributions to development efforts and foster international goodwill”. McArthur also criticized that this resulted in Washington missing out on “opportunities to build political capital for solving much thornier and divisive international issues”. As for the State Department officials, they tried to remove the term Millennium Development Goals in agreements which eventually led to uproar that resulted in Washington being forced to endorse the MDGs after all. Lastly, The World Bank missed out on their opportunity to finance the MDGs. McArthur criticizes the bank due to the fact that they should be helping with the developing world.

d) The article “How to Help Poor Countries” (2005) addresses the question of more aid money. Please elaborate. What are suggestions made by the authors? Do you agree?

            In the article “How to Help Poor Countries”, the authors analyze the effectiveness of more aid money in developing countries. In the beginning of the article, the authors mention the general assumptions that wealthy nations can “materially shape development in the poor world”. It is also assumed that providing resources and helping with trading opportunities can be the answer to helping poor countries, but we quickly learn throughout the article that it is not that simple. As we keep reading, we realize that aid and market aren’t the only thing that can help developing countries. The development of these countries relies directly on internal factors of the country itself. This means that the countries who are granted aid have to know what to do with the money and spend it very wisely in order for any benefit. The article says, “aid is only as good as the ability of a recipient’s economy and government to use it prudently and productively”. Without the productive and correct use of aid money, there is no room for sustaining long-term economic health. So, what suggestions do the authors make to this problem of aid? The authors start by mentioning how important it is to “help developing countries help themselves” by eliminating some of the burdens that are placed on these poor countries. One specific suggestion the authors made in order to help was to completely abolish TRIPS or the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. TRIPS make the cost of medicines significantly large, which is very detrimental in poor countries where health epidemics are a major a problem, like HIV/AIDS for example. Another suggestion the authors made was to let poor countries have the opportunity to create their own economic policy. Many countries have reduced poverty without the “comprehensive structural reform” that has been used by many other countries in the past years. It is mentioned that “almost all successful cases of development in the last 50 years have been based on creative policy innovations”. This proves how allowing countries to creatively implement their own economic policy could be beneficial. Lastly, the authors provide examples of how wealthy nations can directly help benefit developing countries by “taking action against corrupt leaders, assisting research and development, and enhancing global labor mobility”. Overall the article is arguing that if aid increases in developing countries, it should be delivered more efficiently as well as giving more control on policy, increasing finances for technology in these countries, and opening up the labor market.

I agree with the suggestions the authors made, but most specifically agree with the idea that these countries should be taught what to do with their aid money. I believe it would be very beneficial for these countries to be mentored on what to do with this money instead of letting it go to waste without helping the problem of poverty in the long-term.