Global Education: 124 Millions Without

In the US we have problems with schools, asking if they are educating our kids or if they are as good as they ought to be. We do not ask whether schools should exist or whether kids should attend. That’s a key reason our problems with schools set us apart from those in a number of countries in East Asia, the Middle East, Africa, where almost 124 million children and adolescents, mostly between the ages of 6 and 15, are not able to go to school. The figures come from a recent Human Rights Watch report which was compiled using UNESCO Institute statistics and is based on HRW studies of 40 countries for some 20 years. The report Continue reading “Global Education: 124 Millions Without”

Tampons and Pads and a New Law

Few among us would think that access to sanitary napkins is a problem. Yet to the less fortunate among us, it is. Now, New York City made history recently by enacting legislation enabling women in schools, correctional facilities and shelters to have access to tampons and pads during their periods. The lack of access has had sad and objectionable effects that usually went unmentioned because the whole idea of menstruation and menstrual products have been taboo. NYC is in the lead as far as the US is concerned. Canada abolished its goods and services tax on menstrual products last summer. The European Union allows the Value Added Tax to be 0 and even Kenya Continue reading “Tampons and Pads and a New Law”

A New Kind of Debtor Prison

Nicholas Kristoff, the thoughtful and socially conscious NYT columnist wrote eloquently about what could be called debtors’ prison not long ago drawing attention to the fact that people who can’t afford to pay fines are jailed instead, a system that ensures they won’t be able to pay. Serving time puts one’s job in jeopardy, should one have a job because many of those who are fined are homeless, for example being fined for sleeping on a park bench. The system also places the children of single parents at risk, and can mean eviction for some. Still nation- wide the practice continues and is often Continue reading “A New Kind of Debtor Prison”

Not a Total Failure

There was a humanitarian summit in Istanbul recently, the first of its kind, and there are those who ask whether or not it failed. They were supposed to raise funds towards the huge humanitarian crisis unfolding with victims of conflicts, natural disasters and refugees, all told 130 million people, and were not able to meet their goal. One of the reasons being that participants were not sure the money would be spent as Continue reading “Not a Total Failure”