NGO Post - Peace Boat

    Peace Boat is a Japan-based organization established in 1983 that promotes "peace, human rights, and sustainability." They were created by a group of university students whose goal was to learn first-hand about the effects of Japan's military aggressions which the government had censored. They did this by chartering a ship to visit neighboring countries in the Asia-Pacific and initiate a people-to-people exchange with those experiencing the war.   

    The primary aims of Peace Boat's programs are to create a positive impact on socio-political, economic and environmental issues via their ship, international conferences, global networking and media, and local grassroots actions. More specifically, they concentrate their efforts across different global issues such as environmental sustainability, disarmament, peacebuilding, humanitarian support, and education. They've taken on several environmental projects such as the "Galapagos Forest Revitalization Project," an effort in partnership with the Charles Darwin Foundation to save the native plant life on the Galapagos Islands, and the "Support for Fukushima" project: a program supporting affected communities of the nuclear disaster at the Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and advocating for a nuclear phaseout in Japan's energy policy. Additionally, Peace Boat is one of the international steering groups in the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), and has funded the removal of landmines from 1.7 million square meters of land through their Peace Boat Landmine Abolition Campaign (P-MAC), a campaign to remove the vast numbers of landmines left behind from the Cambodia and Afghanistan civil wars.    

    A central part of Peace Boat's success lies in their international presence. In addition to ICAN and P-MAC, Peace Boat has launched multiple international campaigns, some in partnership with other NGOs including the Global Article 9 campaign, and they are the northeast Asia regional secretariat for the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC), an international network of NGOs focused on peacebuilding and conflict prevention.   

    Peace Boat is funded on a social business model through their voyages. They are located in Tokyo, Japan and has over 100 staff members, most of whom joined the organization after participating in a voyage as a volunteer, participant, or guest educator. Their passengers are called "participants" because everyone who joins a voyage contributes to Peace Boat's activities and therefore becomes an active "participant." About 1,800 participants take part in their Global Voyages, and since its creation in 1983, Peace Boat has traveled to more than 270 ports with over 70,000 participants. 

    In terms of effectiveness, Peace Boat has had a rather broad reach with its programs. Along with the success of P-MAC, Peace Boat Disaster Relief (PBV) continues to carry out emergency relief operations, raising funds for victims of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica and implementing humanitarian support for those affected in the 2024 Hualien City earthquake in Taiwan. The organization is currently in the midst of its 122nd global voyage and is chartering two more this year in August and December.  

NGO Post -- World Vision -- Wyatt Rambo

 World Vision is an NGO that is primarily focused in assisting those who are in need, with a particular emphasis on "sponsoring" children, and providing clean water. So far, as of data from 2024, WV has provided over 3 million people with clean drinking water, and helped more than 35 million people wit/h crises and emergencies. WV provides a multitude of charitable services, such as household sanitation, and handwashing services. The organization gives children and their families better living conditions.

World Vision was started in the mid-late 1940s, by Bob Pierce. Pierce found an abandoned Chinese girl, and he gave his last 5 dollars to her, to help. World Vision was then formed, based in Oregon, and assisting those in East and Southeast Asia, particularly providing emergency services. Today, they work in nearly one hundred nations worldwide, becoming a truly global organization.
In the 1970s, when the countries surrounding Vietnam, World Vision helped 93 refugees, calling it "Operation Seasweep."
When Ethiopia was hit with a famine in the 1980s, WV provided the crucial services needed for the starving children and their families during the crisis.

In addition to World Vision's goals of providing adequate child protection and clean food and water, WV also specializes in providing equal education to all children.
"We believe in every child’s right to a quality, safe, inclusive and transformational education that empower children for life." -World Vision Education Page, https://www.wvi.org/our-work/education
So far, WV has provided nearly 5 million children with proper education through programs, as well as almost 45,000 children with disabilities, also through World Vision's programs. Additionally, WV has trained almost 19,000 teachers.

As a sub-category of WV's goal of child protection, they "envision a world where all children are healthy and well-nourished."  -World Vision Health Page, https://www.wvi.org/our-work/health
World Vision has reached 24 million people who're suffering from TB, Malaria, and HIV, with over 90% treatment success for tuberculosis. Further, WV has screened nearly 6 million children for malnutrition, according to 2025 data.

In all, World Vision is an NGO that has a focus on maintaining the well being of those who are in need of emergency services that cannot get it under normal circumstances, with a primary focus on aiding the families of children in over half of the countries of the world.

NGO- Ocean Conservancy

    Ocean Conservancy began in 1972 as The Delta Organization. They went through many name changes over the years. As listed on their website, their primary goals are, “protecting biodiversity, advancing climate solutions and preventing ocean plastics.” It seems that their main way of carrying out these goals is by being advocates for changes in law and policy to protect the ocean, but they also conduct scientific research and engage local communities. They are most known for their International Coastal Cleanup program, which is a volunteer event that has taken place across a purported 150 countries. I couldn’t find many specifics about how they actually coordinate international activity, but they do work with NOAA and have participated in international climate conferences. Ocean Conservancy is USA based with their headquarters located in Washington, DC. Membership can be quite literally anyone, but they employ “scientists, policy analysts, attorneys and communicators as part of a diverse staff.” They have had several initiatives, but I’d say their most successful was getting a congressional rewrite of the US’s sustainable fisheries act in 1996 after advocating for four years to initiate change. Getting a country to change its laws seems like a pretty big deal to me. All of their funding comes from individual donations as well as corporate donations and government grants.

WIP

NGO - 350.org

 350.org was founded in 2008 by an environmentalist named Bill McKibben. The 350 in its name is a refernce to 350 ppm (parts per million) of carbon dioxide, which is the upper threshold for our atmoshpere to limit a climate catastrophe. The primary goal of the organization is to end the use of fossil fuels and switch to using more renewable methods of sourcing our energy.

They use multiple strategies to reach that goal. The first is mobilizing the masses. The more people that back a cause, the more likely it is that their voices will be heard. 350.org has organized hundreds of thousands of people to stand up and push back against organizations and policies that harm the environment and atmosphere. They also run campaigns that target specific policies, which can be incredibly effective when you are able to move so many people against a very specific thing. A third method they utilize is pushing for fossil fuel divestment. Divestment is the opposite of investment, so essentially they are convincing people or organizations that have invested in fossil fuels to pull out of those deals. This can help speed up the transition to renewables because there is less money flowing into the fossil fuels industry.

The organization has had a history of leading successful campaigns and demonstrations. For example, in 2014 they led the largets climate march in history, with 400,000 people marching in New York alone, as well as 2,000 other demonstrations in 162 other countries. They've also been a crucial voice in the fight against multiple pipeline projects across the world. The most famous of these was the Keystone XL pipeline which was proposed to stretch from Canada to Nebraska. Their efforts helped lead to President Obama rejecting the plan. Among their actions to help fight the pipeline was an effort to construct solar arrays directly in the path of proposed construction for the piepline, which would force the project to cause even more harm to people if it went through.

350.org has employees operating in 32 different countries, and it is currently headquartered in New York. Their leaderships system includes the board of directors, which operates across 4 continents. They have volunteer partners in 188 different countries. Most of these volunteers were brought in through grassroots organizing, which is a common method used by NGOs because groups of people usually already have shared experiences that drive them to fight alongside each other. They also have a strong online presence which had helped spread their messages and add people to their growing list of supporters and volunteers. They receive their funding through private investments and donations from institutions and individual activists. There are no membership fees, but rather a large groups of people and organziations who are willing to help fund climate action. Their donors are not usually made public, however it has been made public that they receive some funding from a donor-advised fund called the Tides Foundation, which focuses on social justice.

As far as the success of 350.org, they have historically been a potent force in helping push back against fossil fuel projects. They have run into a bit of trouble recently in the United States though. In 2025 they announced that they would have to temporarily suspend their programs in the US, which caused them to drop some of their staff, leaving just 3 in the country. Between 2025 and 2026 they saw a 25% drop in income, which is almost guaranteed to be a result of the changing political climate in the US surrounding the validity of climate change and environmental issues. This has led to questions surrounding the future of the organization. While events in the US may not directly hinder their progress in other places around the world, they are based there and receive a significant portion of their funding from US-based organizations and individuals. 

NGO Post - ANERA

  American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA) was founded in 1968 in the aftermath of the Six-Day War. Founded by Americans, it sought to provide emergency relief (food, medicine, etc.) to Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan and Lebanon. Over the years, the focus of the organization became less on immediate aid and more on long term development.

The primary aim of ANERA is to reduce poverty and improve the overall standards of living in underserved communities in the Middle East. While it continues to provide emergency aid during times of heightened conflict, the organization mainly works to improve access to healthcare, education, clean drinking water, as well as economic opportunity. The overarching goal is to promote self reliance amongst the communities the organization works with.

ANERA carries out its aims through several different relief and community development programs. These include donating medical supplies, construction, rehabilitating schools, improving water and sanitation systems, and also providing job training. ANERA also works with other local NGOs and community organizations to maximize productivity.

ANERA is international in that it is headquartered in Washington D.C.. It also of course has several regional offices in the Middle East, including Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine. This allows the organization to operate on a local level, directly with the people it’s serving, while also maintaining administrative and fundraising operations in the U.S..

While the entire entity is able to operate internationally, the organization is very much decentralized, and each field office works semi-independently and locally in order to suit the needs of the people it works with. Although of course there is communication between the different field offices and the U.S. headquarters.

Unlike many other NGOs, ANERA does not have a formal membership base. The organization is instead composed of local partners, volunteers, and an expansive network of donors. Most of ANERA’s workforce is hired locally where it operates, which also strengthens its ties to the community it serves.

ANERA is seen as effective and it has been operating in the region for decades. It has a long track record of delivering crucial humanitarian aid, and it maintains connections with many other NGOs and humanitarian groups.

ANERA receives funding from several sources, including individual donors, private foundations, corporations, as well as government grants. A significant portion of its funding comes from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), as well as other international institutions. This wide reach of funding sources has allowed ANERA to operate for as long as it has been.

NGO - Action Against Hunger

     Action Against Hunger was founded in 1979 in France by a group of doctors, scientists, and humanitarian thinkers. Its early work focused on famine relief in places such as Afghanistan, Uganda, and Cambodia, but it quickly expanded into a global organization addressing hunger in multiple regions. Today, it operates in more than 50 countries and has decades of experience responding to both emergencies and long-term food insecurity issues.

    The primary aim of Action Against Hunger is to end global hunger, particularly by saving the lives of malnourished children and supporting vulnerable communities. The organization focuses on immediate relief and long-term solutions like improving food security, access to clean water, and healthcare systems. Its broader mission includes enabling communities to become self-sufficient and resilient to future crises. To achieve these goals, it runs nutrition and health programs to treat and prevent malnutrition, provides emergency aid during disasters and conflicts, and supports agriculture and livelihoods to ensure sustainable food access. It also invests in research and innovation to improve treatment methods and advocates for policy changes to address the root causes of hunger.

    Action Against Hunger has established a strong international presence through a network structure with headquarters and offices in multiple countries, including the United States, France, Spain, and India. It coordinates across borders by sharing research, standardizing programs, and maintaining global leadership teams while adapting strategies to local conditions. Its workforce includes thousands of staff members and partnerships with local communities and organizations. Membership consists mainly of professional staff, volunteers, donors, and partner organizations spread worldwide. The organization also relies heavily on local employees in the regions where it operates, which helps ensure culturally appropriate and effective programs.

    In terms of effectiveness, Action Against Hunger reports reaching over 26 million people annually, and independent charity evaluators have rated it highly for financial efficiency and transparency. About 90% of its funds are directed toward programs, suggesting strong operational efficiency. However, challenges remain, including major funding gaps in global hunger programs and disruptions caused by political decisions, such as cuts to international aid that have forced project closures.

    Action Against Hunger is funded through a combination of private donations, government grants, institutional funding, and partnerships. While this diversified funding base allows for large-scale operations, it also makes the organization vulnerable to changes in government policies and global funding priorities.

    Overall, Action Against Hunger is a major global actor in humanitarian aid, combining emergency response with long-term development strategies to combat hunger worldwide.

NGO - Mercy Corps

 Mercy Corps is an international non governmental organization (NGO) focusing on humanitarian aid especially in underserved communities. Founded in 1979 in the United States, Mercy Corps was originally created to refugees from areas dealing with conflict. Mercy Corps is now operating in over 40 countries, and has global recognition for the work they do. The main goal backed by Mercy Corps is to reduce poverty, and help areas dealing with extreme issues. They do this by supporting communities long term providing food, helping local economics, and working to address climate issues. 

Mercy Corps carries out their mission by creating programs and also offering emergency relief. After things like disasters they offer relief by bringing food, water, and safe shelter. For the long term development goals they involve themselves with local business programs, introducing agriculture technology and financial help services. Often they will work alongside local governments for support. They are not a traditional membership program, but they have a global network of people who work for them. Those people include a mix of employees, volunteers, and also supporting organizations. Most of the staff members partnered with them work within the country they are from, making the ability of having someone a part of the culture they are working with a plus when building a strong community and understanding of how things are. 

Mercy Corps is generally successful, and achieves their goals. They have been evaluated in various different ways on their success, and those evaluations show that their program improves everyday life, making necessary things like food more easily available. They are also seen in action immediately following natural desitasters within a quick amount of time for their relief support. With where they operate, often being in zones of conflict, they do struggle to sustain proper care at times, but with the right support they will do what it takes to achieve their goals. Mercy Corps is funded multiple different ways such as, government grants, private donations, and corporation partnerships. This allows them to help in various different fields of work when responding to larger donors, along with the help they offer with their funding.

Post about NGO

     Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has been a highly important and influential NGO since its creation in 1971.  Originating in France, this NGO aims to provide healthcare to lesser-fortunate areas who are hit with issues such as disease outbreaks and conflict.  Since its founding, Doctors Without Borders has provided medical care and aid to more than 75 different countries, and in 2024, has provided medical consultations to over 16 million people.  It's saved many people from diseases such as malaria, malnutrition, cholera, many infectious diseases, among many more.  It's reach hasn't just been restricted to a specific area either, as their reach has extended across 6 of the 7 continents (all except for Antarctica).  

    They've reached beyond simply providing medical care for countries that may not have good healthcare systems as well.  One of their main goals includes providing emergency response care during national disasters and conflicts.  One of the prime examples of this was during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.  In response to the invasion, they assisted Ukraine by supplying them with more medical care throughout conflict-affected areas, as well as providing emergency trauma care training for Ukrainians in order to help affected people in the surrounding area.

    Another aim that they have is to help with parts of the world that deal with significant natural disasters, such as hurricanes or floods.  For example, in late 2024 they supported the Philippines.  The Philippines had encountered six typhoons in a one month period in 2024, and the MSF distributed essential supplies and healthcare to the districts that were the most affected.  Some of the services they focused on the most included monitoring water borne diseases, and distributing hygiene kits and drinking water.  The organization had already been nearby to treat large portions of the area for TB, so they were already somewhat prepared to support the Philippines.  The MSF focuses on quick response, and this is a prime example of that.

    In order to carry out their duties in an efficient and effective manner, they need to be prepared for almost anything.  The MSF has 24 different national offices stationed around the globe in order to be able to reach the entirety of the globe.  There are offices in almost every corner of the world, in places like Russia, Brazil, and France.  Some of the poorer countries that they have offices in include places like the Philippines and Chad, extending their reach throughout most of Africa and Southern Asia as well.  Having so many offices divided up into such a wide global reach is a crucial factor in the MSF being able to achieve its goals.

    

NGO: The Rainforest Alliance

 The rainforest alliance was founded in 1987 with a goal to promote sustainable environmental practices like farming and forestry that specifically relate to the rainforest. They want to conserve and protect the biodiversity of rainforests. The most well known way that they do this is by offering a seal of approval that companies can put on the goods they produce to let the consumer know that the products followed specific environmental and human rights rules. This seal is very sought after for companies and many consumers are more likely to buy a product if they see that seal on it then if it didn’t. This way the companies benefit from more purchases of their product if they have the seal, consumers know exactly where the materials for their products were sourced and how ethical the process was, and the natural environment of the rain forest and those who live in it don’t suffer from environmental problems or labor ones. They have a presence in over 60 different countries. What I find the most interesting about their practices is that they don’t want to stop the production of any products like that, they instead just want companies to ethically source their materials to keep the overarching rainforests in tack. This is why they choose to work with the companies themselves, forming an alliance for the rainforests. They just work with companies though, they also work with communities, consumers, governments, and civil society groups. Their method is to reward those who practice sustainability and transparency in order to create a consumer culture that is more geared towards these practices as a whole. Daniel Katz helped co-found the rainforest alliance in New York at only 24 years old with the express goal to save the world's rainforests as they house over half the world’s species. As I said earlier they don’t only focus on the environmental aspects of the rainforest but the human side of it too. The rainforest alliance also supports fair working conditions and equality for those doing the work. They help make sure fair wages are paid which help to increase the average income of those who live in and around the rainforest, those who are the most vulnerable to be taken advantage of along with their home area.

NGO - WWF

     The WWF or the World Wildlife Fund is non-profit NGO focused on the conservation and rehabilitation of wildlife around the world. They primarily look to help save endangered species and to stop habitat destruction, but even with those being main focuses of the organization they pledge to make a better world for all wildlife.

    The WWF was started in 1961, by UK citizen Victor Stolan, who was inspired by articles about the destruction of habitat and wildlife in East Africa. Alongside the Director General of British Government Agency of Nature Conservancy, Max Nicholson, they teamed up with a couple dozen other individuals to write up the framework for the organization, and establish the first three specific organizations in the UK, Switzerland, and the US. 

    Within the first couple of years of the organizations existence, it made great progress with its goals. To name just a few, the WWF helped to fund the Charles Darwin Research Station in the Galapagos islands, which helps to protect the fragile ecosystem within the islands. They also helped fund the College of African Wildlife Management, which helps to protect wildlife in some of the more volatile places within Africa. The WWF then continues to fund research and spend money on protecting endangered species such as Tigers and Birds. By the the mid 1970's, the WWF started to also focus on protecting habitats by creating and funding national parks and nature reserves throughout the world. Through the decades the organization focuses on expanding these practices throughout the world, creating a better and more promising world for the many animals we share our world with.

    I also want to look specifically at what the organization has done to help protect my favorite animal, which are tigers. They are mostly focusing on protecting the habitats of these animals, by creating reserves and trying to lobby against the destruction of these habitats. But one of my favorite things they have done is try to make these protections against Tigers not negatively effect the local indigenous populations that live in these areas. These people are directly involved in the planning of projects, allowing for them to not be effected by the projects, and the WWF helps to educate them on how to co-exist with Tigers and try to limit human-tiger interactions.   

NGO (International Association of Suicide Prevention) - TYLER PRIVLER

The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) is a non-governmental organization that focuses on reducing suicide and improving mental health awareness around the world. It was founded in 1960 in Vienna by Dr. Erwin Ringel and Norman Farberow, and since then it has grown into a global network that works with professionals, researchers, and organizations across many different countries. Its main administrative contact address is in Washington, D.C., which shows how it operates internationally while still having a central base. From the start, its main goal has been to prevent suicide and support people who are struggling, while also helping governments and communities better understand mental health. It also works closely with the World Health Organization, which strengthens its global reach.

The main aim of IASP is to reduce suicide rates worldwide and promote better prevention strategies. At the same time, it also works to raise awareness and reduce the stigma around mental health, which is still a major issue in many places. Because of that, the organization focuses not just on prevention, but also on education and support. In a way, it tries to address both the causes of suicide and the lack of understanding around it.

IASP carries out its goals in several ways. It organizes international conferences, supports research, and works with experts to develop prevention programs. One of its most well-known efforts is World Suicide Prevention Day, which it helped establish in 2003 and which now takes place every year to bring global attention to the issue. It also works with organizations like the World Health Organization to influence policy and improve mental health systems.

The organization has built an international presence by including members from over 100 countries. Its members include mental health professionals, researchers, volunteers, and different organizations that all focus on similar goals. This network helps coordinate efforts across countries, since people can share ideas and strategies that work in their own regions.

In terms of effectiveness, IASP has helped increase awareness and pushed more countries to take suicide prevention seriously. It is hard to measure its full impact, but its campaigns and partnerships show that it is making progress.

IASP is funded through donations, sponsorships, and partnerships. Some of its funders include Lundbeck, the Facebook community, and Cycle Around the Globe participants. It also receives support from World Congress sponsors such as the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, the National Mental Health Commission, Movember, and The Trevor Project. In addition, many people contribute their time, which helps support its work globally.

NGO - Center For Reproductive Rights

     The Center of Reproductive Rights(CRR) was founded in 1992 by Janet Benshoof as the Center for Reproductive Law and Policy with the goal of making reproductive rights human rights. The CRR uses two different approaches for advocacy. They use the legal system to fight laws that violate reproductive rights like safe access to abortions, restrictions to contraceptives, etc. They also do campaigns to bring attention to many different problems that harm women and their reproductive rights. From the CRR’s efforts, many places around the world have seen protections for reproductive rights, such as in Nepal, where they managed to overturn a law that criminalized abortion and now women have access to safe, affordable abortions. In the US, they have protected abortion rights in multiple states while trying to build a case against the reversal of Roe v Wade. Just recently in Zambia, they filed an appeal for a woman who had terminated a pregnancy when she couldn’t afford a legal abortion, which got the courts to rule in her favor and freed her from jail. They have worked with multiple parts of the UN like the Human Rights Council to advance laws and define what must be done for reproductive rights to become human rights.

    While CRR is stationed in the US, there are multiple offices around the world, such as in Kenya and Switzerland. They have a presence all around the world, as their goal is global recognition of reproductive rights. Press releases are released in multiple languages based on where the case/action takes place. There are various programs CRR has for different continents like their Africa and Europe programs. You can sign up on their website to get a newsletter and stay informed about what is going around the world, and you can also donate on their website to help their cause. Also on their website, you can find every court case they have fought. Unfortunately, they have lost many cases, and many are still ongoing. However, they have also won many cases, especially in recent times, like the aforementioned case in Zambia, and getting Peru to recognize reproductive violence like forced sterilization as institutionalized violence. One of their recent losses was in North Dakota to stop the ban on abortions in the state, which was ultimately denied by the State’s Supreme Court. Not every court case will be won, but what is important is that there is still someone fighting against injustices so there is a chance. About 50% of the funding for the CRR is from donations from individuals and foundations, and around 40% is from In-Kind donations, with the rest from things like events.

NGO (REMAR)

REMAR, established in 1982 in Spain, stands for Rehabilitation and Marginalization. It is a Christian nonprofit NGO that operates in over 70 nations, providing food, water, rehabilitation services for those struggling with drugs and alcohol, humanitarian aid, and shelter for the homeless. REMAR focuses on aiding vulnerable groups such as women, the elderly, and children who have experienced domestic abuse, individuals with substance abuse addictions, and victims of natural disasters through its "REMAR SOS" operations. REMAR's mission is rooted in delivering aid through faith-based messages and compassionate care.

REMAR's primary aim is to provide comprehensive assistance to marginalized individuals, addressing their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. They attempt to carry out these aims through a multifaceted approach, including establishing residential rehabilitation centers, offering vocational training, and conducting community outreach programs. These initiatives are designed to empower individuals to overcome their challenges and reintegrate into society.

REMAR has established its international presence through a network of local chapters and partnerships with other organizations. They coordinate activity across international boundaries by maintaining a central administrative structure that provides guidance, resources, and support to its various branches. This structure ensures consistency in their mission and values while allowing for adaptation to local contexts. 

REMAR's membership includes a diverse range of individuals, from volunteers and staff to donors and beneficiaries, united by a shared commitment to serving those in need. While REMAR often highlights its successes, some external evaluations suggest that the effectiveness of its programs varies depending on the specific context and the resources available. REMAR's funding comes from a variety of sources, including private donations, corporate sponsorships, and grants from governmental and non-governmental organizations.

NGO Post

My NGO research topic was the American Cancer Society (ACS), which was once the American Society for the Control of Cancer (ASCC). The ASCC was founded in 1913 by ten physicians and five laypeople in New York City. These fifteen people wanted to make a change in cancer diagnosis. Back when it was first founded, a cancer diagnosis for an individual was a near-certain death experience. In 1945, its name changed to its current name, seen throughout the world today. While the logo itself has changed throughout the years, the direction the society aimed to head never did. They've always strived to "improve the lives of people with cancer and their families." In 1995, the society launched its "Global Relay For Life" movement against cancer, which reached audiences around the world. It's also focused on funding research, providing support for patients, and promoting early screenings, all while highlighting cancer as a global issue. To execute their goal, employees put extensive time into scientific research, run public campaigns, improve screening accuracy, and provide affordable treatment for all patients. Though the society has also created partnerships with organizations such as the Union for International Cancer Control to broaden its global research. This has allowed them to expand their international footprint through these partnerships without involving direct governmental control. While the NGO has spread its information throughout the world, it's primarily based in the United States. Most ACS building members consist of volunteers, healthcare workers, donors, researchers, and professionals. All of which provide essential support for patients so they can feel informed and comforted about their diagnosis. Atlanta, Georgia, houses the American Cancer Society's headquarters and over 350 offices. The NGO has been very vital in today's society, helping decline cancer mortality rates within the United States. They do this by emphasizing early screening tests and raising public awareness. While it's not easy to see how the organization impacts on a global scale, its partnerships have helped it reach international levels beyond the US. The majority of funding brought into the society has come from corporate partnerships, grants, Relay For Life events, and individual donors. In the end, the American Cancer Society shows that an NGO doesn't need to have a facility located in other countries for it to have a worldwide impact.

I also have a personal family connection to the American Cancer Society. My mom, unfortunately, has had cancer 3 times throughout her life. In 2025, her second treatment was done in Manhattan, New York. The New York Proton Center, where she got her treatment, had offered her to stay at Hope Lodge, New York, New York. The ACS built hope lodges across the US to provide a 'home away from home' lifestyle for individuals receiving cancer treatment. This way, she didn't have to commute an hour+ every weekday from NJ to NY and back. During her 6-week treatment from February to March, she was able to stay in a single room provided by the American Cancer Society and take Uber to and from the NY Proton Center. The American Cancer Society has helped my family tremendously by providing my mom a safe place to stay during her 6 weeks of treatment in New York City. 

NGO Post - Red Cross

The Red Cross is one of the most well-known NGOs in the world. It was founded in 1863 by Henry Dunant after he saw how badly injured soldiers were being treated during a battle in Italy. As a result of this experience, Dunant wanted to create an organisation that was able to help those in need, particularly during wars and disasters, no matter their background or which side they were on. The main aim of the Red Cross is to reduce human suffering and protect people’s lives and health. They do this by providing emergency aid, helping after natural disasters, supporting refugees and offering healthcare. They also promote important values like fairness, neutrality and helping people without discrimination. This allows them to work in many different countries and situations across the world. 

The Red Cross carries out its work through three main parts:

1. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
2. The international Federation (IFRC)
3. National societies in different countries

These groups work together to respond quickly to emergencies, organise aid projects and support long-term recovery efforts in affected areas.

The organisation has a huge international presence by offering aid and operating in over 190 countries. They are able to coordinate across borders by staying neutral and working with governments and local communities. This helps them provide aid even in difficult situations such as war zones or areas affected by political conflict.

A good example of their work is the British Red Cross. In the UK, the Red Cross helps people affected due to events like flooding by providing emergency supplies, temporary shelter and emotional support. They also train thousands of people in first aid every year and run services that support refugees and vulnerable groups in local communities. The Red Cross has millions of volunteers and staff around the world made up of both local community members and trained professionals. I have personal experience myself working with the Red Cross in Bermuda! Red Cross headquarters is in Geneva, Switzerland but its work is truly global and reaches people in both developed and upcoming developing countries ranging from small islands to broad landmasses worldwide. 

Overall, the Red Cross has been very effective in meeting its aims because it consistently responds to major crises around the world and provides support to millions of people each year. However, similar to a lot of large organisations, it can sometimes face challenges with coordination and managing resources effectively. The organisation is funded through a mix of government support, donations from the public and partnerships with other organisations. This all helps it continue its global work. I think it is particularly clear that the Red Cross is a strong example of an international NGO because it has a global reach, a large membership and makes a real impact in helping people in need.

NGO Post

 The Salvation Army was started/ funded in 1865 by William Booth, along with his wife Catherine Booth, in London. This started as a christian mission to help poor,  homeless, and hungry people living in the impoverished areas of London during the industrial era. The mission was called The East London Christian Mission. As the mission grew larger it turned into a military style organization with ranks and uniforms that showed how dedicated people were to the cause of helping people. Now, the organization has operations in over 100 countries that help with disaster relief from natural disasters, provide homeless shelters, handing out food, helping people recover from addiction, and during the holidays doing food and toy drives for those less fortunate. The Salvation Army receives its funding from public donations, government grants, and proceeds from their thrifts stores. The current international leader of the company is Brian Peddle, who the workers address as the general. Before becoming the international leader of the company he oversaw the company's oversea operations, acting similarly to a CEO. The Salvation Army’s purpose is rooted in its Christian faith, aiming to meet both the physical and spiritual needs of people by offering practical assistance while also sharing religious support and hope. While they started as Christians, they help everyone regardless of religion, background or what their circumstances are. Their mission is to show compassion and provide a service for all. 

Chapter 23, Maya Coffee Farms, WP Article

Chapter 23 compares the differences between global inequality and individual inequality (inequality within a single country) by using three different methods. This chapter was very informative, and each method broke down the various concepts within global inequality and how, depending how you analyze it (positives vs. negatives), can affect the way in which inequality is measured. "True" inequality, as mentioned in the text, is the best way to depict the trend in global economics through the years, because it factors in what the other two methods overlooked: the differences in income from person to person in each country, and the price levels those people face. This information is subject to change overtime as price levels increase and vary from nation to nation. Not to mention the fast growth of nations overtime, as seen with China and India, can greatly impact global inequality and even cause it to decrease.  

The article "Maya Coffee Farms" conveys a real-world example of the "commodity chain" discussed in class where the farmers have the least power. As an alternative to the commodity chain, the concept of "fair trade" is introduced as a way to help improve the development of disempowered producers, such as community members in a Tz'utujil Maya community in Guatemala. In reading about the benefits and drawbacks of this movement, one part that stuck out to me the most was the farmer's trade relationships and prices. Although the trade relationships maintained between roasters and importers, as well as the guaranteed price allow for the producers to live somewhat of a sustainable life, the earnings that these farmers receive are still undesirable and just enough for them to maintain their current standard of living rather than grow and develop. 

The article "The Cobalt Pipeline" addresses the significant global impact that the DRC has on the cobalt trade and the production of lithium-ion batteries. Once again, the reader's are shown the unsavory and unethical ways in which materials for large manufacturers are harvested. In this instance, miners in the Congo, a lot of which are children, are responsible for mining cobalt in dangerous working conditions. Much like other instances we've seen in class, regarding children and/or adult workers being forced to work long hours for little pay, with regular risk of workplace casualties, the companies accused of sourcing their materials from these mines have claimed they were unaware about the way in which the cobalt was harvested. Additionally, many companies when confronted with these accusations either promise that they do vet where the materials for their products come from, or that they will start doing that moving forward. After seeing the exact same story time and time again, with companies claiming they were unaware of sweatshops and child labor and environmental effects of their operations, it's clear that this is a pattern. Unsurprisingly, international companies like LG or Apple do not care where their materials are sourced from, or how they are sourced so long as they can produce their product as quickly and as cheaply as possible. 

Chap. 23

 Is globalization a positive or negative thing, in terms of inequality? Is it making things better or worse? Yes.

Inequality, when looking at the individuals themselves, seems to be an overall negative thing, as the majority of the people are making little amounts of money. On the other hand, countries and their governments are making loads, and the inequalities seem to be going away. The models / concepts the chapter displayed, when looked at individually, without the other ones included, can be seen as either good or bad. The global scale makes it seem like globalization is a very good thing and it's solving issues. But the model that includes the people, and excludes the nations makes it seem like disparity has greatly increased, being weighted by population. The average of one nation could be the same as another, but the spread could be very vastly different;
a population of 1000 has a total income of $100,000, in each country. But country A could have a "top 1%" that makes 95,000 of that 100,000, and the 990 other people make the 5,000. On average, the population is making an equal amount of money, but the outliers are what makes it like that. Country B could have it as everyone making the exact same amount as each other. In both countries, the average income is the same, but there's a massive difference in the population.
If you don't look at all models all together, taking everything into account, then it is impossible to determine whether or not globalization has a positive or negative impact on inequality. Only when someone looks at all of the evidence can they determine. Even then, people will have varying opinions based on their values.

The Maya coffee situation is strange. The fair trade systems in place make it so that the farmers are guaranteed a minimum amount for their production. The price had even doubled! Without context, this looks like farmers are benefiting greatly from the fair trade systems. However, the farmers barely get anything as-is. Double of nothing is still nothing. Farmers aren't making enough to benefit.
The issue gets even worse when you remember that farmers have the least amount of power in the long chain that is the process of coffee making. If a buyer doesn't like the price the farmer set, they won't buy, making the farmer's coffee essentially useless.

Cobalt Pipe. The congo. The conditions of the cobalt mining operations are so poor. The workers have their BARE FEET out. The only source of light they have is a toy lamp. The amount of space they have to work in is barely larger than the top-down directions of a person. The mines in the Congo are also linked to more human rights abuses and even child labor. The mines have kids going down into highly dangerous places, and they work to extract materials to power a phone.

Chapter 23, Coffee, Cobalt

 Chapter 23 focuses on how globalization has made inequality more visible and Chapter 23 focuses on how globalization has made inequality more visible and more complex. As countries become more connected through trade, technology, and communication, people are able to compare their lives to others around the world, which makes global inequality stand out more than before. It’s not just about income either—differences in access to basic resources like education, clean water, and safe living conditions are also a big part of the issue. At the same time, measuring inequality can be confusing because it depends on how you look at it. Some perspectives show improvement, while others highlight growing gaps, which shows that inequality isn’t just about numbers but also about interpretation.

The example of the Maya coffee farmers shows that free trade can provide some stability, especially through fair trade systems that guarantee minimum prices. This can help farmers survive during uncertain times, but it doesn’t mean they are truly benefiting or becoming successful. They still earn much less than those higher up in the global supply chain, which shows that fair trade only partially addresses the problem. It improves conditions slightly, but doesn’t fully fix the deeper inequalities built into the global market.

The Cobalt Pipeline highlights an even bigger issue—the disconnect between consumers and the origins of the products they use every day. Many electronics depend on cobalt mined in places like the Congo, where workers face dangerous conditions, low pay, and even child labor. Because supply chains are so complex, it’s hard to trace where materials come from, which makes accountability difficult. This creates a situation where people benefit from products without fully seeing the human cost behind them. Overall, the chapter shows that globalization connects the world in powerful ways, but it also exposes and sometimes reinforces inequalities that are not easily solved. more complex. As countries become more connected through trade, technology, and communication, people are able to compare their lives to others around the world, which makes global inequality stand out more than before. It’s not just about income either—differences in access to basic resources like education, clean water, and safe living conditions are also a big part of the issue. At the same time, measuring inequality can be confusing because it depends on how you look at it. Some perspectives show improvement, while others highlight growing gaps, which shows that inequality isn’t just about numbers but also about interpretation.

The example of the Maya coffee farmers shows that free trade can provide some stability, especially through fair trade systems that guarantee minimum prices. This can help farmers survive during uncertain times, but it doesn’t mean they are truly benefiting or becoming successful. They still earn much less than those higher up in the global supply chain, which shows that fair trade only partially addresses the problem. It improves conditions slightly, but doesn’t fully fix the deeper inequalities built into the global market.

The Cobalt Pipeline highlights an even bigger issue—the disconnect between consumers and the origins of the products they use every day. Many electronics depend on cobalt mined in places like the Congo, where workers face dangerous conditions, low pay, and even child labor. Because supply chains are so complex, it’s hard to trace where materials come from, which makes accountability difficult. This creates a situation where people benefit from products without fully seeing the human cost behind them. Overall, the chapter shows that globalization connects the world in powerful ways, but it also exposes and sometimes reinforces inequalities that are not easily solved.

4/1

 Chapter 23 discusses how as the world becomes more connected, global inequality begins to be noticed more because people are comparing their lives and incomes to others across the globe. It breaks inequality down into three different types, differences between countries based on their avg income, the same comparison but its adjusted for population size, and then true global inequality, which looks at how much individuals earn worldwide. The measures are each good in their own regard, but they tell different stories, like how inequaility between countries has increased since the 80s, but when population is a factor, it has actually decreased due to fast population growth. Basically, global inequality is still very high, even though it has technically gotten better in recent years.

The article about the Mayan coffee farmers and fair trade was really informative. I thought it was interesting reading about the ways these farmers are exploited by the free market. They do so much work, but receive almost none of the actual profit generated by their work. However, due to contracts and the determined price of the coffee, there is not much they can do to try and get fair compensation for their work. 

Finally, the washington post article about cobalt was a devastating read. I knew that the cobalt mining was bad for the workers, but I had never really read into how truly horrible it is. These people are exploited to do dangerous work and we justify it by saying that the resources are necessary. If the cobalt is so necessary, then these people should be treated better and compensated fairly, but once again, like the coffee farmers, they do all the work but receive almost none of the profit. How can we bear to live with ourselves when children are being used to mine up the resources to make phones, all so we can waste away our brains using them?

Chapter 23, Maya Coffee Farmers, and Cobalt Pipeline

     Chapter 23 largely focuses on how global income inequality affects global markets.  In his explanation of the background of global income inequality, he explains that inequality has expanded far beyond an internal struggle.  I think the third of the three concept is the most important, as its unchanging is a good explanation for global inequality.  Individuals from different countries often don't have the same price levels in their respective nation-states.  Defining countries while adjusting for different price levels is important, as no two countries maintain the same price level for extended periods of time.

    The article on fair trade within the coffee farming community focuses on thee strengths and weaknesses of free trade.  One benefit in which stood out to me was that stable market access is involved in fair trade.  Stability in any sense is highly desired, but especially in this situation in which farmers are looking to make a good living.  However, usually these stable prices aren't beneficial enough to the farmers.  Long term contracts with roasters can lock in farmers, and they have no choice to stay with these longer term deals in order to still make an ounce of a living.

    The WP article highlights one of the parts of technology that almost nobody tends to think about.  Cobalt mining is quite a dangerous occupation, but its seen as necessary in order to run certain devices such as electric cars and smartphones.  The low pay is certainly concerning to me, because such a dangerous and necessary job should pay a substantial amount in theory.  The "creuseurs" must rely on basic tools as well, even though they're traveling dangerous lengths in order to acquire cobalt underground.  However, most creuseurs are desperate for the job anyway, despite only being paid $2-3 on a good day.

4/1/26

 Chapter 23 from the textbook talks about the inequality between countries at the global level and gives examples of ways global inequality can be measured. Inequality 1 accounts for differences at the country level, Inequality 2 looks at the differences at the population level, and Inequality 3 is done at the individual level. What is notable between the three methods is the differences in outcome, where some will show the world becoming more unequal and some showing the world as becoming more equal. It was a bit confusing for me to fully understand the concepts and how the results are achieved, but I have an understanding of how the results are interpreted. 

The article on fair trade with the Maya Coffee farmers looks at how fair trade can come with some benefits, but also some negative effects. Benefits that coffee farms may get from being involved with fair trade is the required minimum pricing, or building a good global network for their farm.​​ The structure of the fair with minimum low pricing is said to be set up so that during times of lower pricing on crops farmers still are able to gain a sustainable living. The thing is that's not entirely true with some farmers struggling to even make ends meet. Another thing that is considered a negative of fair trade is debt that farmers end up facing because of the need to accept large loans from corporations who are supposedly “helping” them. Fair Trade is kind of in my opinion advertised as a way to achieve “economic success” for the producers, but when I look at it I just see it as more of a way for large corporations to gain more cash.

The article looking at the Cobalt supply chain in The Democratic Republic of Congo shows the true cost of our technology we use everyday.The mines where cobalt is extracted are far from humane, full of toxic chemical exposure, risky tunnels, extremely low pay (like a few dollars a day), and even having children working in them. This is an example that shows the global unfairness, people mining these important pieces to products making millions do not receive an even close to fair split in that. It highlights how these poorer regions are manipulated into taking these low wages so the rest of the world can enjoy a product at the lowest price. This leaves people like the miners trapped in poverty as the large corporations become richer and richer.

Ch 23, Maya Coffee, and Cobalt Pipeline

 The main topic of ch 23 was inequality across the world. Inequailty has become more visible since the world has become more connected, since having trade across countries shows what countries have more than others. Now people aren't just unequal in their own country, but unequal on a global scale. Inequailty also isn't just monetary, access to certain resources like water or facilities like schools are unequal in distribution. Unfortunatly, everywhere has inequality, but now we are able to understand where we stand and what we don't have that others have in abundance.

The Maya Coffee farmers show certain benefits of free trade. Rural farmers were able to set a minimum price they were paid for their coffee that allowed them to not go under in times of uncertainity. Due to this, they have stability on the market. However, this is just the minimum they can go, and it's not exactly enough to prosper. They still get so much less than the people selling the coffee to the average consumer. Fair Trade allows them to survive, but it's still not enough to solve the issues of a global market.

The Colbalt Pipeline reveals the disconnect between the consumer and the production of their products. While we enjoy a vast amount of electronics to make our life easier, there are miners in the Congo making barely anything mining in dangerous conditions to get the cobalt for those electronics. Child labor is used in this process, and it goes through so many hands that you have to go digging to find where it even originated from. I love my phone, my laptop, ipad, but sometimes you really need to sit down and actually look at where your products come from, and if you really feel comfortable supporting this.

Ch. 23, Mayan Coffee, Cobalt Mining in Congo

I found chapter 23 very interesting because I like to learn about the statistics behind demography. The first type of measuring inequality takes countries at face value, ranking them by their average income. The second type accounts for weighting based on the population of the countries. The author goes on to talk about the preferred method used by different people based on their perspective on globalization. The people who support globalization prefer inequality 2 because it shows that the nations of the world are becoming more equal. Those who oppose globalization prefer inequality 1 because it makes the gaps between nations seem larger. I think this divide ties back into chapters 76 and 77 from last week, as we talked about the differences in ideology between groups who oppose and defend globalization. As far as what I think, there is no one correct measurement to determine inequality. I think that a combination of multiple statistics is necessary. It is also important to note that over the entire course of human history there is a trend of trying to quantify people and use statistics to characterize them. This is one of those situations where it doesn't work because its just not possible to sum up every aspect of inequality into a single number. It's arbitrary and I think its just a cop out way of grading and solving problems by labelling things as simply as possible.

The article about Mayan coffee serves as a sort of case study for the concepts discussed in chapter 23. One thing that stood out to me was that the author said that even though fair trade had positive impacts on coffee farmers, 83% of them still said that the fair trade price was not high enough for them. I think this is a great demonstration of how some inequality statistics can be misleading, especially inequality 2. In the case of this article, it seems like the inequalities within Guatemala are shrinking because the farmers at the bottom received extra income through fair trade. However, the price not being enough for the majority of the farmers shows how the population weighting statistic may show something that actually isn't. The article is a great example of why inequality approach 3 is more accurate than the other 2. The author sits down with the individual farmers rather than generalizing them all into a group. This best shows the disparities between people inside of the collective, which inequalities 1 and 2 would not show at all.

The article about Cobalt mining in Congo discusses the supply chain of the mineral from the batteries in phones and vehicles all the way back down to the mines in Africa where adults and children alike are exploited for their labor. One line that stood out to me from the beginning was, "Mayamba, 35, knew nothing about his role in this sprawling global supply chain." The flip side of this was companies like Apple being out of touch with the realities of the supply chain, or at least playing dumb about it for PR. This emphasizes once again the differences that cannot be seen on that chart from chapter 23, where it shows the convergence. Convergence implies that the world is becoming more connected through globalization, which is the purpose, however it is not relfected in how things really go. The sides that are supposed to be getting closer and more connected and the producers and the companies who pay for their labor, directly or indirectly. Neither Mayamba nor Apple had any idea they were working within the same chain. There's also an important connection between the case of Congo and the Mayan coffee farmers. In both cases the workers barely make anything, while the industries they work for pump billions into the pockets of those at the top of the chain. However, the Mayan coffee farmers at least have some form of help in their free trade agreement. The workers in Congo do not. They are an example of what it would be like in Guatemala without the collective agreement, which further emphasizes the scale of the problem since the situation in Guatemala still isn't good enough for 83% of the farmers.

CH 23, Maya Coffee Farmers, & The Cobalt Pipeline

Global income inequality becomes more noticeable as countries become more connected, because people are constantly comparing their lives to others around the world. As Chapter 23 explains, globalization increases the movement of goods, capital, and even ideas, which makes people more aware of how others live and how much they earn. Because of that, inequality isn’t just a national issue anymore—it starts to feel global. At the same time though, there are different ways to measure inequality, and each one can tell a slightly different story, which makes it kind of confusing. For example, looking at countries alone might show growing gaps, while focusing on population can make it seem like things are improving because of countries like China and India. In a way, this shows that inequality isn’t just about the numbers, but also about how you choose to look at them. Overall, globalization is making inequality more visible, even if it’s not always clear whether it’s getting better or worse.

The idea of globalization and free trade is often presented as something positive and inevitable, but Maya Coffee Farmers shows that it’s more complicated than that. Free trade isn’t always fair, especially for smaller or less developed countries that can actually lose money under these systems. Because of that, fair trade tries to offer a better option by supporting small farmers and creating more equal trade relationships. At the same time, it doesn’t completely fix the problem, since it still exists within a global system that already has inequalities built into it. In a way, it feels more like a slightly improved version of the same system instead of something totally different. Another issue is that the market for fair-trade products is still pretty small, so it can’t help everyone who needs it. Overall, this shows that even though fair trade helps in some ways, it’s not enough on its own to solve global inequality.

The global demand for technology, especially smartphones and electric cars, is closely tied to serious human and environmental costs that most people don’t really think about. As The Cobalt Pipeline shows, a lot of the world’s cobalt comes from mines in the Congo where workers, including children, deal with dangerous conditions and very low pay. Because of that, everyday devices are connected to a supply chain that depends on exploitation, even if companies say they are trying to monitor it. At the same time, the system is so complicated that many companies honestly don’t even know exactly where their materials come from, which makes accountability harder. In a way, globalization creates distance between consumers and the real impact of what they buy. Another thing is that demand for cobalt keeps growing, so this problem probably isn’t going away anytime soon. Overall, it raises the question of whether technological progress is really worth it when it depends on conditions like this.

4/1/26

Even though chapter 23 was short, it kind of confused me, but I understood the overall message was that state intervention curbs market power. This makes state intervention sound bad, but I think it is desperately needed. Companies need to be held accountable for their actions, and regulations need to be stronger. A quote from this chapter that really stood out to me is, “democracy, national sovereignty and global economic integration are mutually incompatible.” I don’t fully agree with this quote, but I do think we shouldn’t sacrifice democracy or sovereignty for the sake of the market. What a crazy thing to do.

The Mayan coffee farmers article was an interesting read, and is similar to what I’m learning about in my cultural anthropology class right now. I think fair trade has the potential to be an amazing thing, and has already been beneficial, but it needs to be able to accomplish more. It amazed me to read that the fair trade price for coffee was established in 1988 and that the price has only been raised once. Can you imagine if the minimum wage in the US hadn’t been raised since 1988? Definitely some room for improvement there.

The cobalt article was the most thought provoking out of the reading this week. I knew already that cobalt was in a lot of electronics, but I wasn’t aware of the situation in Congo. The fact that miners are working barefoot and receive no help during accidents is definitely a human rights violation. These people are basically left to die. Their humanity is reduced to how productive they can be in the workforce. What frustrates me the most is that companies can’t just stop buying cobalt from Congo. The solution to issues like this  feels like trying to come up with a way to  take advantage of people in the most performatively ethical way possible.

Chapter 23, Maya Coffee & The Cobalt Pipeline

I would say that global income inequality is a bit more complicated than it first sounds, especially now the world is so connected. There seems to be a few different ways to look at it all which is why people don’t always agree. You could compare countries, include how many people live in each country, or you can look at individuals across the whole world. In my opinion, this makes a big difference. For example, I think when you include population size, inequality has actually gone down since the 1980s, mainly because countries like China and India have grown really quickly. Although I would also say that if you look at people individually, inequality is still really high, with a small number of people earning a lot of the world’s income. Overall, I think whether inequality is getting better or worse really just depends on how you choose to look at it.

I think fair trade is definitely a step in the right direction but I would say it’s not as simple as it actually sounds. For example, farmers in the study were guaranteed about $1.21 per pound for their coffee. This helped them keep their land and send their children to school, especially during times when global coffee prices dropped really low . I would say that this kind of stability clearly makes a difference to their everyday lives. However, I also think there are clear limitations. Many farmers said the price still wasn’t high enough to properly get ahead and about 83% said they wanted a higher price for their coffee. On top of that, I think issues like debt are a big problem because farmers often take out loans through cooperatives but in the end actually struggle to repay them. I would also say it’s interesting that only a few farmers actually understood what fair trade is, even though they were part of it. So overall, I think fair trade helps in practical ways, but it doesn’t fully solve the deeper problems in global trade and inequality.

I think the article about the Cobalt Pipeline really shows the hidden side of everyday technology which most people don’t really think about. I would say that while things like smartphones and electric cars seem modern and even environmentally friendly, they depend on cobalt mined in places like the Democratic Republic of Congo and often in really dangerous conditions. For example, the article describes miners, known as “creuseurs,” digging deep underground by hand using basic tools, with tunnels that can collapse at any time. I also think it’s quite shocking that some miners earn only a few dollars a day, even though the cobalt they extract ends up in expensive global products. Another example I found interesting was how children are involved in sorting and washing the cobalt, exposing them to harmful dust and unsafe environments. How is this fair and is it really worth risking children so young? I also thought it’s interesting that once the cobalt leaves the mines it goes through a long global supply chain. This makes it difficult for big companies to track where it actually comes from. Overall, I think this shows that even though technology is advancing, it still relies on systems that are unequal and I think it raises important questions about how ethical these products really are.

Maya coffee farmers, Chapter 23, &WP article

 The E-reserves breaks down the idea of fair trade and explains it as an alternative development by doing research on a coffee cooperative based in Guatemala. this chapter shows how fair trade has many benefits like, stable prices, helping farmers keep their farms, build stronger trade connections with other nations, and allow more money to flow into their schools and other things they need for their country. While fair trade gives benefits, it also has defects that hurt the people participating in it because the prices for anything they try to sell is too low for the people to make a profit on. The prices are so low for what they are selling because there are so many other people trying to sell the same thing globally that the world has too much of that one substance. Since there is an abundance of those materials they cost less to get because it could always be replaced. Since there are sometimes more of a product than they need it's hard for similar products to enter the global market and do well. This chapter also says how the people that are selling good on the international market have no say in how much their product is worth when they try to sell it. Th market decides how much goods sell for, not the producer of that good. Overall this chapter explains that fair trade is good on the surface level for the world, but is not the best system to make sure people of certain nations are getting the money they need to survive. 

Chapter 23 explains that the bigger globalization grows, the more and more people from wealthier countries can see how the people in poorer countries live and inspire changes to help those poorer countries creating a strong sense of global communities where the base thought is that the people in every country should be able to provide for their family without having to worry about how much money they get from their jobs. This chapter highlights the three types of inequality. The first inequality highlights the  difference in wealth between countries regardless of population, and the second inequality is the same thing but taking in account the population sizes of those countries. The last inequality measures the wealth gap between individuals throughout the world. The second inequality has decreased because of rapid population grown throughout the world, but the first and third inequality have remained higher than it should be since the 80s. Since the top 8% of wealthy people holds half of the worlds wealth, inequality 3 remains the biggest inequality within any country, but population growth of some countries are helping that statistic get reduced  only by a small amount.

The Washington Post article does a deep dive into how bad people live in the Congos where they have the raw materials to make things we use everyday and how badly it is affecting the people that mine those materials. People in the Congos mine cobalt so we can use our electronic devices but the effect of them doing this everyday as a job is bad for them. Miners are working constantly with chemicals find their way into their everyday life like in the food they eat and the water they drink. Overall the cobalt pipeline benefits the world because it provides a global commodity and works in cahoots with the global market, but at the cost of the people mining it and everything they use to survive.