Τρίτη 12 Φεβρουαρίου 2013

World’s 100 richest could end global poverty 4 times over

Source: True Activist
Edited: Katerina Nakou
The world’s 100 richest people earned a stunning total of $240 billion in 2012 – enough money to end extreme poverty worldwide four times over, Oxfam has revealed, adding that the global economic crisis is further enriching the super-rich.
“The richest 1 percent has increased its income by 60 percent in the last 20 years with the financial crisis accelerating rather than slowing the process,” while the income of the top 0.01 percent has seen even greater growth, a new Oxfam report said.
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For example, the luxury goods market has seen double-digit growth every year since the crisis hit, the report stated. And while the world’s 100 richest people earned $240 billion last year, people in ”extreme poverty” lived on less than $1.25 a day.
Oxfam is a leading international philanthropy organization. Its new report, ‘The Cost of Inequality: How Wealth and Income Extremes Hurt us All,’ argues that the extreme concentration of wealth actually hinders the world’s ability to reduce poverty.
The report was published before the World Economic Forum in Davos next week, and calls on world leaders to “end extreme wealth by 2025, and reverse the rapid increase in inequality seen in the majority of countries in the last 20 years.”
Oxfam’s report argues that extreme wealth is unethical, economically inefficient, politically corrosive, socially divisive and environmentally destructive.
The report proposes a new global deal to world leaders to curb extreme poverty to 1990s levels by:
- closing tax havens, yielding $189bn in additional tax revenues
- reversing regressive forms of taxation
- introducing a global minimum corporation tax rate
- boosting wages proportional to capital returns
- increasing investment in free public services
The problem is a global one, Oxfam said: ”In the UK inequality is rapidly returning to levels not seen since the time of Charles Dickens. In China the top 10 percent now take home nearly 60 percent of the income. Chinese inequality levels are now similar to those in South Africa, which is now the most unequal country on Earth and significantly more [inequality] than at the end of apartheid.”
In the US, the richest 1 percent’s share of income has doubled since 1980 from 10 to 20 percent, according to the report. For the top 0.01 percent, their share of national income quadrupled, reaching levels never seen before.
“We can no longer pretend that the creation of wealth for a few will inevitably benefit the many – too often the reverse is true,” Executive Director of Oxfam International Jeremy Hobbs said.
Hobbs explained that concentration of wealth in the hands of the top few minimizes economic activity, making it harder for others to participate: “From tax havens to weak employment laws, the richest benefit from a global economic system which is rigged in their favor.”
The report highlights that even politics has become controlled by the super-wealthy, which leads to policies“benefitting the richest few and not the poor majority, even in democracies.”
“It is time our leaders reformed the system so that it works in the interests of the whole of humanity rather than a global elite,” the report said.

Economic crisis and Young People - H οικονομική κρίση και οι νέοι

Publication; Social Activism of Athens
Edited by; Ellen Kalisperati –Sociologist
Mail: info@erymanthos.eu Αυτή η διεύθυνση ηλεκτρονικού ταχυδρομείου προστατεύεται από τους αυτοματισμούς αποστολέων ανεπιθύμητων μηνυμάτων. Χρειάζεται να ενεργοποιήσετε τη JavaScript για να μπορέσετε να τη δείτε.
Oι επιπτώσεις της οικονομικής κρίσης στους νέους
The current economic crisis may seem abstract and distant to some, but it cannot be more immediate and pressing for young people in their early twenties. Indeed, one of the greatest injustices to come out of this crisis is that its heaviest burdens are being imposed upon individuals who did absolutely nothing to bring it about – by any theory or argument. In particular, the graduating classes of 2009 and 2010 have been punished by this crisis for absolutely no fault of their own. In this article, I hope to convey some understanding of the experiences faced by this group of people, who have been marginalized and overlooked by virtually all of the institutions that unfortunately still dominate contemporary society. I will also argue that intense anger is warranted among young people, but that this anger should be constructively channeled into comprehensively reforming contemporary society through the heavy use of technology and spontaneously emerging, “bottom-up” institutions.
Young people voice concerns on impact of economic crisis to UN officials
Νέοι άνθρωποι εκφράζουν ανησυχίες για τον αντίκτυποτης οικονομικής κρίσης σε αξιωματούχους του ΟΗΕ
5 October 2011 – Young people from 22 countries have gathered at the United Nations this week to shine a light on the impact that the global economic crisis is having on youth around the world.The lack of jobs, education cuts, and the need for greater inclusion in decision-making processes are some of the issues that the youth delegates have been raising with UN officials since they arrived on Monday for a two-week visit.The delegates have already met with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, participated in informal negotiations, and given their input on youth-related resolutions.
As the economic crisis worsens, young people worldwide call for a return to humanitarian values
Καθώς η οικονομική κρίση επιδεινώνεται, οι νέοι σε όλο τον κόσμο καλούν για μια επιστροφή στις ανθρωπιστικές αξίες
As young people continue to feel the effects of the global economic crisis, racial tension and the negative impacts of alcohol and other drugs, they are calling for a return to education based on humanitarian values, according to a poll released by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). The results were released today at the organization’s 18th General Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.The poll, which was shared through the global network of Red Cross Red Crescent youth, canvased the views of people aged 18 to 30 on factors that contribute to a culture of violence in their countries. It also examined what they believe would help create a culture of peace and non-violence.
Young people share heavy burden of global economic crisis
Οι νέοι μοιράζονται βαρύ φορτίο της παγκόσμιας οικονομικής κρίσης
Policies that are being formulated to respond to the global economic crisis are not creating job opportunities for young people.That's the message delivered by Juan Somavia, the outgoing Director-General of the International Labour Organization at the start of the agency's conference in Geneva on Wednesday.Mr. Somavia said that since the 2008 financial crisis, around 30 million people have been added to the unemployed and nearly 40 million more have stopped looking for jobs.
Economic crisis hits young people
Η οικονομική κρίση χτυπάει τους νέους
Unemployment in the Netherlands has gone up substantially, especially among young people, figures published by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) show.
Η ανεργία στην Ολλανδία έχει αυξηθεί σημαντικά, ιδίως μεταξύ των νέων, αριθμητικά στοιχεία που δημοσιεύθηκαν από τη Στατιστική Υπηρεσία Ολλανδίας(CBS).
A year ago unemployment among young people was still around nine percent, but now it has risen to 11.4 percent. The number of registered jobseekers is steadily growing, but there are also many young people who have decided to study rather than sit at home.When there is an economic crisis it is always the young people who are hit first. In the Netherlands it is especially young men working in industry, the building sector, ICT and trade are affected most. In the second quarter of this year unemployment in the male age group of 15 to 25 is almost 12 percent, considerably more than a year ago.
Youth: the hardest hit by the global financial crisis
Νεολαία:αυτή που πλήττεται περισσότερο από την παγκόσμια οικονομική κρίση
In times of economic recession, the labour market contracts and the number of unemployed people rises sharply. But for young people these periods are doubly troubling, not only are they the first targets of job cuts but also their transition from school to the job market becomes almost impossible. This is one of the most significant conclusions of the latest UN World Youth Report launched on 6 February 2012, which included a wide consultation process with youth all over the world.

How can the public opinion of street art be improved?

Street art has plenty of different variations: graffiti, stencils, sticker art, urban knitting, writings on walls, paste-ups, installations and many more. Basically any visual art that happens in the public realm of our streets could be classified as street art. It makes a city more colorful, can open up new perspectives or draw attention to necessary changes and unnecessary nuisances. However, in the minds of many people, street art is just vandalism and an illegal action.
Berlin-Festival octopus-4 300dpi

What can be done to change this opinion? What can street artists do to become more respected in their art? How could we make everybody see the positive effects of street art—see it as an important art for—and change opinions on the art form in general?

Greece is facing a humanitarian crisis

Published in Social Activism
Edited: Katerina Nakou
The EU's own poverty standards show that Greece is in crisis. But member states won't admit their 'bailout' was to blame
European societies typically assume that humanitarian crises only take place in the aftermath of natural disasters, epidemics, wars or civil conflicts.That such a crisis could happen in a European country, especially one that is a member of the European Union, seems out of the question to many of us.

And yet a number of experts would maintain that Greece is currently in the centre of a humanitarian crisis. The head of Médecins du Monde, Nikitas Kanakis, the largest and most prominent NGO in Greece, was among the first to declare it openly. The port area of Perama, near Athens, in particular, is in the midst of a humanitarian disaster. The Medical Society of Athens, the largest professional body of its kind, has even sent a formal letter to the UN asking for intervention.
If this humanitarian crisis has so far been little talked about, there are political reasons why. By acknowledging the severity of the situation, the Greek government and the EU would also have admitted that the current state of affairs has been brought about by the so-called economic "rescue" of Greece. So the authorities have chosen to keep quiet.
It is true that there is no general agreement on what constitutes a humanitarian crisis. But the definition used by those with experience in the field is practical and straightforward. A humanitarian crisis is usually marked by rising poverty, heightened inequality in education and social protection, and lack of access to social welfare services. Particularly important indicators are loss of access to primary health services, medical examinations, hospitalisation and medication. In other words: when you see a crisis, you will not mistake it for anything else.
Greece never imagined that it could face a humanitarian crisis. According to the UN Human Development Index, in 2008 Greece was ranked 18th in the world. No one in the country really thought that this could change so dramatically.
It was false security offered by the institutions and mechanisms of the EU. Member states had to pay for this imaginary security by meeting demanding economic and political criteria. The paradox is that even the EU, the supposed guarantor of the security and prosperity of member states, has well-defined ways of measuring poverty, both absolute and relative, which show that a humanitarian crisis exists in Greece.
On the basis of the criteria and the data of the EU, Greece is a country in serious poverty. In 2011, 31.4% of the population, or 3.4 million people, lived on an income below 60% of the national median disposable income. At the same time, 27.3% of the population, or 1.3 million people, were at risk of poverty. There is no data yet for 2012, though things have certainly got worse.
Using further EU indicators, a large proportion of Greek households currently live in conditions of "material deprivation". A little more than 11% actually live in "extreme material deprivation", which means without enough heating, electricity, and use of either a car or a telephone. It also means having a poor diet, devoid of meat or fish on a weekly basis, as well as total or partial inability to meet emergency expenses or payments for rent and bills.
The ineffectiveness of European programmes for reintegrating the unemployed into the labour market and the lack of national social protection programmes have pushed Greece even further down the ranks of poverty. The adult unemployment rate stood at 26.8% in October 2012. This level, although huge in comparison to the recent past, still does not give the whole picture.
It misses, for instance, unemployment resulting from the failure of thousands of small businesses. To the unemployed should be added the working poor, ie, workers with such low wages that they cannot meet basic needs. At 13% of the workforce they represent the highest proportion of the working poor in the eurozone.
There are three more indicators that point to a humanitarian crisis. First, the number of homeless people has risen to unprecedented levels for a European country: unofficial estimates put them at 40,000. Second, the proportion of Greek beneficiaries of NGO medical services in some urban centres was recorded at 60% of the total in 2012. This would have been unthinkable even three years ago, since such services were typically provided to immigrants, not Greeks.
Third, there has been explosive growth in soup kitchens and general food distribution. The levels are not officially recorded, but the Church of Greece distributes approximately 250,000 daily rations, while there are unknown numbers of rations distributed by municipal authorities and NGOs. By recent government order, municipal rations will be expanded further because of rising incidence of children fainting at school due to low calorie intake. There will also be light meals provided to young students.
The evidence of poverty, inequality, and inability to access primary services confirms the increasingly desperate statements by people at the frontline. The country has become a field of humanitarian action, and should be treated as such. It is shameful for the Greek government and the EU to turn a blind eye to it. The international humanitarian community should respond with urgency.

15 year old invents New Method of Diagnosing Cancer

Source: True Activist
Edited: Katerina Nakou
Jack is a fifteen year old freshman in high school. He developed a paper sensor that could detect cancer in five minutes for as little as 3 cents. He conducted his research at John Hopkins University. This research could change the face of cancer and promote early detection. He has been selected as the Intel 2012 ISEF winner and has won awards at multiple national and international math competitions. Jack is on the national junior whitewater kayaking team and enjoys playing with his dog and folding origami.



Jack’s method is 168 times faster, 26000 times cheaper, 400 times more sensitive and has a 90% success rate.

Τετάρτη 6 Φεβρουαρίου 2013

Shouting back: how women are fighting street harassment

Edited: Katerina Nakou
Victims are using Twitter to highlight the 'invisible' problem, says Laura Bates, founder of the Everyday Sexism Project
Nobody should be surprised at official statistics showing that one in five women over 16 in England and Wales has been the victim of a sexual offence. Just before last week's report was launched and in response to a flurry of post-New Year accounts of harassment, the Everyday Sexism Project invited women to share their experiences of harassment on Twitter using the hashtag #ShoutingBack. Some 3,500 did so within the first five days.

The frequency of incidents reported is alarming: "Every day since I was 14 …" "I've lost count of the number of times …" "Called a bitch, whore, slut, slag on the street too many times to mention," were just a few of them. One woman said: "On street, bent to tie my shoe, man walks pass, sticks hand inside my top, into my bra & squeezes breast." Another described being "force kissed by a stranger in the street in broad daylight". One woman, a cancer patient, told how a man openly elbowed his friend as she passed and said: "You missed it. Totally bald. Proper dyke."
Many incidents happened on public transport, from "a man … putting his hand up my skirt and stroking my legs" on a packed tube, to a woman who tried to get off the train only to have a man grab her breasts and tell her "this isn't your stop, love". Another victim said a man "asked me to get off and f*** him … then tried to force my head into his lap".
The theme of harassers becoming aggressive upon rejection was also repeated again and again. One woman said shouts of "Hey … come here", switched to: "You whore, I'll beat you so hard," when she refused. Another described being "followed by a car of teenage boys who then tried to reverse into me when I wouldn't talk to them". In one case, "harassment started on the street, asking if I was married, ended with sexual assault on my doorstep at 3pm".
Threats of violence and sexual assault, such as "If I knew where you lived, I'd follow you home and rape you", were frequently reported, as were actual physical assaults. One woman was "Chased to my door at 11.30pm by two lads who 'Didn't want to hurt me.' I ran faster."
Nat Guest, a 26-year-old digital marketer from London, was walking home from a party on the morning of New Year's Day, when a man came up behind her, making "sexual overtures". When she didn't respond, he told her he had a knife and forced her to face a wall before masturbating into the back of her dress.
Although the police were supportive, the male officer said: "Usually I'd tell you to avoid walking around on your own late at night, but, you know – New Year's. You have to get home somehow." As a young woman in London, Guest experiences sexual harassment so frequently ("most days") that when she reflects on the incident, she says: "Theoretically, I feel angry about it but emotionally I don't feel much at all apart from resigned. But the fact that I feel resigned to this type of thing makes me feel angry."
Most worrying of all was the number of accounts that described the sexual harassment and assault of young girls. One said: "While walking home last year, a man inside a parked car ask[ed] me for a blowjob. I was 15 and in school uniform." One recounted "being told by my parents not to stand up for myself because that will get me raped".
Holly Kearl, founder of the US-based organization Stop Street Harassment, says: "Street harassment is often an invisible problem or one that is portrayed as a joke, compliment or the fault of the harassed person. In reality, it's a human rights violation."
As one of the male supporters of #ShoutingBack tweeted: "We have the power to stop street harassment. Don't do it. Don't let other men do it."
Until they stop, we will keep shouting back.