Tag Archives: economic crisis

The Trickle-Down for Migrant Workers

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Nicholas Kristof’s column in today’s New York Times touches on another effect of the global recession: as unemployment rates in the developed world rise, jobless migrant workers are unable to send money to their families back home. The result is growing poverty, homelessness and hunger in the the third world, and enormous strain on organizations trying to meet basic human needs. The Wall Street Journal reports that migrant workers’ remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean are down for the first time since 2000. In the Philippines economists expect the flow of remittances from migrant workers to contract by as much as $100 million this year. And, amid fears of massive social instability caused by loss of remissions from migrant workers, the government of Bangladesh is urging the Malaysian government to reverse it’s decision to revoke 55,000 Bangladeshi migrants’ visas.

In fact, the economic crisis is hitting migrants and their families especially hard. Within China, where rural Chinese migrants have fueled the development of major Chinese cities, more than 23 million Chinese migrants are now unemployed. Meanwhile, unemployed migrant workers are facing tough choices: return home, move to other areas to wait out the recession, or remain in foreign countries where they are more and more unwelcome and where conditions are becoming increasingly hostile. And even those choices are more limited now: the global recession is leading some counties to restrict immigration, there are fewer and fewer even relatively healthy economies to migrate to, and returning migrant workers are swelling the numbers of poor and unemployed at home.

Arguing that migrants are “likely to be especially vulnerable to abuse and attacks when jobs become more scarce”, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, is urging governments to include provisions to protect migrant workers in their economic stimulus packages. According to Pillay, a former High Court judge from South Africa, where more than 60 people were killed in a blacklash against foreign workers triggered by high unemployment, “Protection of the rights of migrants in terms of their working and living conditions, and in the event of loss of employment, should be integrated in responses to the crises. Crucially, no efforts should be spared to protect migrants from discrimination and xenophobia.”

Wondering how to help?

  • For the next three days, you can be part of drafting a communique telling the G20 nations what you think their most important priorities for economic recovery should be. Make sure that dignity and safety for migrant workers is part of the program by adding your ideas here.
  • Finally, don’t forget about Free Rice. It’s free, it’ll make you smarter and it helps feed hungry people all at the same time.

The Crisis Within The Crisis: Homelessness and Hunger

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It’s no surprise that the global economic crisis is hitting the word’s poor and economically vulnerable the hardest. As Sonni Efron wrote in Thursday’s LA Times, jobs and income are receding, while food prices are not, leaving people in the poorest parts of the world even hungrier. Public and private resources for feeding the hungry and sheltering the homeless are decreasing, while the need for assistance is growing. In the U.S., where homeless shelters are full to overflowing, tent cities have popped up in places like Reno and Sacramento, while the “hidden homeless” live on friends couches, in their cars, or in motel rooms. As families line up to receive food assistance,  soup kitchens struggle to keep up with the demand. Though the U.S. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes funding for homeless prevention and re-housing, a temporary extension of the food stamp program, and other provisions for “protecting the vulnerable”, it will take time for the funding to make its way to communities and to have an impact. And while the federal funds should help, they will still be inadequate to meet the needs of America’s poor. Meanwhile, other governments have done little so far in the way of economic recovery efforts, and developing nations will continue to be unable to take care of their poorest citizens.

So what’s a concerned citizen to do?

But if you’re experiencing your own economic crisis, there are still things you can do to make a difference.

  • Free Rice is a knowledge building game. For each answer that you get right in categories like vocabulary, math, geography or art, Free Rice donates 10 grains of rice to the World Food Program. So far, donors have contributed more than 61 billion grains of rice. You can get smarter, impress your friends and fight hunger at the same time!
  • At the Hunger Site, just click and sponsors donate staple foods that are distributed by Mercy Corps and Feeding America. For each click, two cups of food are donated. Last year, 8,279,486 pounds of food were distributed as a result of clicks at the Hunger Site.
  • Add this search engine to your IE or Firefox search box and use it whenever you search the web. You can designate the National Alliance to End Homelessness to receive a donation every time you search. Or use this link to access the online shopping portal GoodShop to shop at stores like Amazon, Target, Gap, Best Buy, ebay, Macy’s and Barnes & Noble. Choose the National Alliance to End Homelessness and they’ll earn money for every purchase you make, with no additional cost to you.
  • The Mercy Corps Action Center has links to hunger and poverty fighting actions requiring time commitments of anywhere from one minute to a lifetime. There you can also train for action against hunger and poverty by learning about the problems that cause hunger and strategies for approaching them. And if you live in or are visiting New York, you can visit the Action Center, an interactive public space that “educates and empowers visitors to tackle the challenges posed by hunger and poverty”.
  • Finally, volunteer. Not only will you be helping others who are in need of a hand up, you’ll be doing something good for yourself as well, especially if you’re unemployed or struggling yourself. Search VolunteerMatch, Idealist.org, Volunteer Solutions, or Network For Good using the keyword “hunger”, “food”, “homeless” or “housing” to find soup kitchens, food banks and homeless shelters in your area. You can also find homeless shelters here, food banks here, and soup kitchens by searching for “soup kitchen” here.