Pushing For Fair Trade

Priya Haji, a Hindu-Muslim immigrant is the founder of World of Good Inc., and enterprise focused on sweat-free, eco-friendly, fair tarde products, as outlined in a recent MSNBC article. These products include things like scarves, beads, beaded jewelry, and woven baskets.

After studying abroad, Haji decided to help out various artisans she met throughout her travels. Wolrd of Good is now the first online, fair-trade enterprise. Background is provided on where each product, which is given a minimum bidding price, is coming from. The customers get to see and understand directly who produces the product ad the impact they are making by purchasing it.

 

Afghanistan and the Food Crisis

Another countrygreatly effected by the food crisis is Afghanistan. As mentioned in a recent MSNBC article, many Afghan citizens can be found rummaging through garbages or even paying for food scraps and leftovers. The cost of basic foods such as wheat have gone up 75 percent in only three months. The number one fear concernign the rising prices, is that it may boost Taliban recruitment.

Because the Afghan government is backed by the United States, citizens are blaming the US. The prices of food have only risen since we came into the picture. The pverty has even reached some middle-class citizens. The death toll is expected to rise not due to starvation, but due to diseases cause by starvation and malnutrition.

It is also stated in the article, that due to Afghansitans high dependendy on foreign aid and exports, they are being hit the worse with the food crisis. Their main source of food imports in Pakistan is suffering on its own, leaving Afghanistan to fend for itself.

Zimbabwe and The Food Crisis

Today, a major victim of our global food crisis is Africa’s own Zimbabwe, as outlined in a recent CNN article. The malnutrition and starvation of thousands in Zimbabwe is also contributing to their horrific cholera outbreak. The outbreak has reached such a fatal level due to the massive poverty in Africa and the inability of its citizens to reach a health center. This poverty, much like the food crisis, is also caused by the practices of globalization, like foreign aid.

This outbreak began back in August, as water has become more and more contaminated throughout homes in Zimbabwe. Nurses and doctors are beginning to protest due to the lack of medical equipment and major political leaders are accusing Zimbabwe’s government.

There is not an answer in sight but with the help of the Red Cross and the World Health Organization, we can only hope to cure this outbreak and prevent it from happening again in the future.

Obama and Economic Recovery

As the economic crisis becomes the number one concern by most American citizens, Obama addresses his plans to relieve the situation as outlined in a recent CNN article. With thousands and thousands of job losses throughout the country, a solution is desperately needed. Through his plans, Obama plans to creat 2.5 million, much-needed jobs.

He plans, by upgrading all parts of the country to have access to the internet, to easily create avaialbe jobs for many American citizens. A recent Department of Labor report showed the number of job losses hit 533,000 in November alone. The entire year saw a loss of 1.9 million jobs. The unemployment rate has been its highest in fifteen years.

Hopefully, with time, strategy, effort and a strong leader we can find our way out of the mess we have fallen into. Obama stated that he needs Americans to rise to his proposal. “We need action — and action now,” he said.