Reason #17 to Support Periclean Scholars: Help Achieve Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 8, Develop a Global Partnership for Development

The final Millennium Development Goal (MDG), Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development, is one that I feel is the Periclean program’s greatest strengths in terms of contributing to the advancement of the MDGs.

Target 8.A: Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial system is rooted in the finance system, but it also sets out a need for measures of success beyond financial. Periclean Scholars has always honored classes that are able to raise a lot of money, but this has always been a comparatively small measure of success. Each class’s success is not going to be in terms of the amount they fundraised during their time at Elon, but rather on the strength of partnerships. Each class that establishes meaningful partnerships with well-vetted organizations and maintains them well after graduation, to ensure project sustainability and growth, will help to achieve MDG 8. These classes will be committed to good governance, development, and poverty reduction for the long haul.

Most of the Periclean countries of focus have fallen into the realm of Target 8.B: Address the special needs of least developed countries. The Pericleans’ work in Zambia, Sri Lanka, and (soon) Haiti addresses Target 8.C: Address the special needs of landlocked developing countries and small island developing states. Though not officially connected to the UN program, Pericleans researched the most pressing issues and worked diligently with their partners to make great strides in working to address these special needs.

Building partnerships is one of the program’s utmost strengths. The program’s sustained partnerships include, but are not limited to:>

• 2006: Ombetja Yehinga Organization, Windhoek, Namibia; Lironga Eparu, Windhoek, Namibia; TKMOAMS NGO in Oshakati (Tate Kalunga Mweneka Omukithi wo ‘AIDS’ Moshilongo Shetu, translated Our Mighty Father help us stop the AIDS pandemic in our country); Catholic AIDS Action, Windhoek, Namibia
• 2007: Hope for Honduran Children, Flor Azul and Nuevo Paraiso, Honduras; Mario Catarino Rivas Hospital, San Pedro Sula, Honduras
• 2008: Schools for Chiapas, Chiapas, Mexico
• 2009: Habitat for Humanity – Zambia; artist Nicole C. Moore
• 2010: Kpoeta Community, Ghana; Sokode Community, Ghana; Johnson & Johnson
• 2011: Mahabodhi School, Sri Lanka; Rainforest Rescue International, Sri Lanka; Panangala Junior School, Sri Lanka; Sri Lankan entrepreneur Rachel Weeks; Graham Middle School, Graham, NC; Loaves and Fishes, Burlington, NC; Will Work for Food, Ann Arbor, MI
• 2012: Comprehensive Rural Health Project, Jamkhed, India; Burlington Housing Authority, Burlington, NC
• 2013: Luna Maya, Chiapas, Mexico; Schools for Chiapas, Chiapas, Mexico
• Pan-Periclean: The Redwoods Group; Park Foundation

This list is by no means exhaustive and also includes Pericleans-in-Residence, fundraisers, family, and friends.

The program teaches humility. Pericleans are capable of doing great things, but we cannot do them without the help of people other than ourselves. This extends out to our many partners, but it also includes how we work among each other in class and developing ideas. We achieve more through actively listening and working with the same goal in mind: advancing our collective success as global citizens. The Periclean Scholars believe that if global organizations maintain the value of humility and the desire to partner, MDG 8 can be more rapidly achieved.

The Periclean Scholars' work to forge strong, meaningful partnerships is reason #17 to support Periclean Scholars: help achieve Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 8, develop a global partnership for development.

Reason #16 to Support Periclean Scholars: Help Achieve Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 7, Ensure Environmental Sustainability

I know that all of my American supremacist readers have been looking forward to this post. (Just kidding.) Believe it or not, one target on the MDGs is one that Americans are significantly worse at practicing as compared to other nations. Yes, we are great at conducting research and development, but in practice, we can be a lot better at achieving Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability.

How often have you heard that it’s important to recycle… that you should take shorter showers… that cycling and public transit are better than driving your own car? The list goes on and on for behaviors that we know we should adopt but do not, for lack of convenience or caring. The list also extends to policies that the United States failed to adopt, from the Stockholm Convention on eliminating extremely dangerous chemicals to the Kyoto Protocol on fighting global warming to the Convention on Biology Diversity for reducing the decline of biological diversity and on and on.

Believe it or not, there are consequences of not achieving MDG 7. Continued greenhouse gas emissions will accelerate polar ice cap melting – which will cascade into increased flooding and displacement of water. (There is no coincidence that we are now experiencing record flooding around the world.) Climate change will create refugees as larger cities are flooded, and conflict over resources could create a new world war.

But – enough fearmongering. That’s not what the Periclean Scholars are about. Let’s answer this question: what are the Pericleans doing about this issue?

The Periclean program’s newly minted alumni, the Class of 2011 Sri Lanka group, made environmental sustainability their primary focus – both in Sri Lanka and in community outreach in the United States. They worked with the Sri Lanka Rangers program and developed a website for collaboration between their Sri Lanka school of focus and their Graham, NC school of focus. They built a partnership with Rainforest Rescue International, a valuable resource for their documentary. They painted a mural at Panangala Junior School, where they painted a mural with the theme of environmental sustainability. The list goes on, as this class accomplished much for environmental awareness for Sri Lanka and in its American partner school.

We can do a lot to clean up our own spaces and live our lives sustainably, but we must also be concerned about the common areas. Discussion and education are paramount to cleaning up the commons. Because of this, the Class of 2011 found a conference to be an ideal vehicle to make progress on environmental sustainability. The Leaders in Environmental Advocacy Forum (LEAF) brought together Elon University, the University of Colombo, the United States Embassy – Colombo, the National Science Foundation – Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka Ministry of Environment, and Rainforest Rescue International. The conference was covered by ETV, Business Times, Shree FM, and E FM Radio 100.4. The Periclean Scholars placed the need to sustain our environment into the context of living as global citizens, as they facilitated forums to achieve sustainability on all fronts.

To close, one of the final projects of the undergraduate Class of 2011 tied into the theme from this year’s convocation, “We Can Do Better”, moderated by journalist and Elon parent Brian Williams. The convocation encourages ongoing conversation about how we can confront America’s greatest challenge and continue to be a leader on issues closest to our national values. Scholar Molly Schriber reflected on her shortcomings and opportunities for growth after a visit to the Alamance County landfill with Periclean-in-Residence Dr. Ajantha Perera. I am impressed by her honesty in her exposure. Please watch her video below.

As with other MDGs, the United States is expected to be a leader on this front. If we continue to be irresponsible and not practice the tenets in Goal 7, this goal will never be fully attained. An innovative American program with global feel and outreach on the university level can make positive strides, and the Periclean Scholars Class of 2011 has done just that. I am confident that they will continue to make strides within and beyond their partnerships, long after their graduations one month ago.

The program's strides on improving environmental awareness are reason #16 to support Periclean Scholars: help achieve Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 7, ensure environmental sustainability.

Reason #15 to Support Periclean Scholars: Help Achieve Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 6, Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and Other Diseases

HIV/AIDS is the foundational issue of the Periclean Scholars Program. The very first class, the Class of 2006, chose it as its issue of focus in the country of focus, Namibia. Since the beginning, Periclean Scholars has worked to meet Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and Other Diseases.

Education and discussion have been the vehicles of choice for this class. More than any disease in the world, the stigma and misinformation surrounding HIV and AIDS have increased its spread and limited protection, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Both those with AIDS and those without receive equal treatment in education, because AIDS affects everyone – particularly in Namibia. The Class of 2006 lives out the belief that the spread of AIDS can be halted and reversed when everyone participates in the education and discussion process. The Class of 2006’s success in HIV/AIDS education and discussion have come primarily through three channels: continued partnerships, a conference, and a documentary series.

The partnerships forged by the Class of 2006 have been a model and a blueprint for all subsequent classes. Out of the four Pericleans-In-Residence that the class sponsored, three were HIV/AIDS experts.

• Dr. Philippe Talavera came to campus on October 2003. Originally from France, he moved to Namibia to fight against HIV/AIDS. He is the Director of the Red Ribbon Campaign and Head of the Ombetja Yehinga Organization. He works with youth and students to spread awareness and education and provide a support network for all affected by the disease. He has produced a documentary and short films in collaboration with the students, with a target audience of adolescents. He made three public lectures at Elon about gender issues, the role of the global community, and the role of the Elon community with HIV/AIDS. He also made radio appearances, spoke with administrators, and visited GST 110 classes.
• Anita Isaacs arrived at Elon in Fall 2004. As the Director of Lironga Eparu, she works to help HIV positive individuals live positive lives. She actively shared her story with the Periclean Scholars cohort, at campus-wide forums, and at several radio interviews. She also recorded interviews for a Class of 2006 documentary.
• Lucy Steinitz served as Periclean in Residence in Fall 2005. She is the Co-Founder of Catholic AIDS Action and the Senior Technical Officer for Faith Based Programs. She has been living and working in Namibia to address the HIV/AIDS pandemic. She provided lectures to many classes at Elon, including my own GST 110 section. She reached out to many Elon students, students at Alamance Community College, and students at the Synagogue Religious School in Greensboro, NC. She was able to create huge paradigm shifts in the way Americans viewed Namibians’ behavior as related to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and she created many new advocates for change. Lucy and Periclean Director Dr. Arcaro have been co-teaching SOC 376, “The Global Impact of HIV/AIDS”, an online course at Elon, since summer 2006. Through these classes, over $2,000 was raised to go to Namibian OVCs (orphans and vulnerable children) in the “Saving Remnants” program.

The class also worked with the TKMOAMS NGO in Oshakati (Tate Kalunga Mweneka Omukithi wo ‘AIDS’ Moshilongo Shetu, translated Our Mighty Father help us stop the AIDS pandemic in our country). In early 2011, the Periclean Scholars Alumni Association sponsored a bicycle program to help TKMOAMS continue its HIV/AIDS outreach in the broader community.

Second, the Class of 2006 was the first class to hold a conference – the Future Leaders Summit on HIV/AIDS in Windhoek, Namibia. The conference brought together Elon University, Polytechnic of Namibia, and the University of Namibia, was sponsored by the American Cultural Center of the US Embassy in Namibia and Family Health International, and was covered by CNN International. The summit highlighted student research and enabled information sharing. It invited experts to offer a deep understanding on various dimensions of HIV/AIDS-related issues. The summit strengthened the power of both the Namibian and American democracies and strengthened university partnerships. It empowered attendees and created lasting networks. The conference brought a lot of redeeming value to the HIV/AIDS fight, and the channel of learning itself has been replicated by the Sri Lanka group.

Finally, the Periclean Scholars Class of 2006 created a documentary series to educate both targeted segments and the general public about HIV/AIDS in Namibia. The documentaries are available for anyone to order and continue to be used as a tool for education in the United States, Namibia, and around the world. Please watch this introductory video, “Maturisa Ehinga” (translated “We are fighting AIDS”), which includes information (and links on the page) about all four documentaries in the series. http://org.elon.edu/fightingaids/about_maturisa_ehinga.html In addition to this documentary series, the class also created the script for “Testing Posi+ive”, which addresses the issues of fear of getting an HIV/AIDS test and abuse toward women. The film is now in use during Elon’s freshman orientation, as well as groups around the world.

Before I conclude, I have to include a graph to project the future of MDG 6 in Periclean program beyond Namibia.

Clearly, the HIV/AIDS epidemic greatly affects Zambia. While in Zambia, I visited an OVC compound developed by Habitat for Humanity. During the May-June 2011 build, the group built housing for people affected by AIDS. Work on this front should continue to progress with future builds, as it will multiply the benefits of the work in Zambia. 

The HIV/AIDS war will be won on two fronts: the scientific front and the educational front. As we come closer to a cure on the scientific front, we must continue to see parallel progress on the educational front for the science to have an effective impact. Myths about HIV/AIDS, its transmission, and its cures must be dispelled through proper education in communities around the world. The Periclean group’s efforts in Namibia – a country highly affected by the AIDS epidemic – and in future groups show that the program continues to do its part on MDG 6.

This is reason #15 to support Periclean Scholars: help achieve Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 6, combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases.

Reason #14 to Support Periclean Scholars: Help Achieve Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5, Improve Maternal Health

Today’s post in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) series will address Goal 5: Improve maternal health. It will also address Target 5.A: Reduce by three quarters the maternal mortality ratio and Target 5.B: Achieve universal access to reproductive health.

During my time at Elon, I remember that my class (2009) and other classes had discussed maternal health as a potential area of focus. The gap between the world’s richest and the world’s poorest is unfortunately clear in countries’ maternal healthcare disparities. In developing nations, women lack education and tools to make informed choices about their bodies, to obtain the best care for their fetuses, and to avoid preventable death due to birth. I am pleased to learn that a current class – the 2013 Chiapas, Mexico group – is working on this issue.

The Class of 2013 has created different focus groups for students to research ways for their talents and passions to make the greatest possible difference to the people in Chiapas, Mexico. One of these groups is the healthcare group. Through their research, the healthcare group discovered that women’s health – including maternal health – does not receive adequate consideration across the village, and that there is work to be done on this front. As a result, the group vetted potential partners and decided to pursue a co-op with a birth center in San Cristóbal de las Casas called Luna Maya. Luna Maya’s mission is to ensure that all women in Chiapas have access to humanized health care, including safe and humanized birth. They believe in empowering women to make informed choices and have access to resources for health and wellbeing. They also believe that access to safe motherhood is a human right that leads to the empowerment of women, enhancement in quality of life, and strengthening of families. I am excited to see the work of the Class of 2013 develop on this front. While it is currently a fledgling partnership, I have no doubt that it will become as strong as current Periclean partnerships – and make great strides toward MDG 5.

I will continue with yesterday’s example of including graphs to demonstrate the needs for Periclean Scholars and make suggestions for further action.

For this first graph, a downward slope is indicative of positive strides.

According to this graphic, many of the Periclean nations need help in addressing maternal mortality. The Mexico group’s work will be important in moving a stagnant number in the right direction. Between 1995 and 2008, the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births has held right at 58.

I also wanted to point out that the United States’ maternal mortality ratio – while one of the best in the world – has doubled since 1995. Yes, the number itself is low, but this trend is troubling. Perhaps this is an issue that the 2014 group will find is an issue in Appalachia, and they can work to reverse it.

Next, I will show a graph related to Target 5.B: Achieve universal access to reproductive health. The measure that I am using is contraceptive prevalence (percent of women ages 15-49). It does not measure access; it measures the percentage of women who are practicing (or whose partners are practicing) any form of contraception. In effect, this is a better measure of success because it shows that contraception has become ingrained into a society as acceptable for sexual practices.

For this dataset, an upward slope is indicative of positive strides.

The dataset is not complete; for instance, we have data for Mexico and the world through 2009, but we only have data for the United States through 2002. Regardless, we can conclude the following. The India group’s work with women and health at the Comprehensive Rural Health Project is direly needed, because India has recently reversed a good trend. Mexico’s culture has accepted and is practicing contraception, which means access to contraception can be integrated well with the Class of 2013’s targets and goals. Most of the Periclean nations are on a positive, upward trend with contraception practice, but none are near 100% in practice.

There is a lot of work to be done on this front. The Class of 2013 has taken the lead on this issue. I believe it can be integrated into even more Periclean efforts in the long run, with the proper support. The health of a new family starts with the health of the mother. If the mother cannot survive through childbirth, the family is shattered. Reducing maternal mortality increases the strength of families, and strong families increase the economic and social potential of the world and its citizens.

Because of the work that Periclean Scholars have set out to do, this is reason #14 to support Periclean Scholars: help achieve Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5, improve maternal health.

Reason #13 to Support Periclean Scholars: Help Achieve Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 4, Reduce Child Mortality

This evening, I stumbled across this clever tool, called Google Public Data, that allows you to visualize certain datasets by country. My first thought was to make a few charts to include in today's post on how Periclean Scholars addresses Goal 4: Reduce Child Mortality and Target 4.A: Reduce by two thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate. My next thought was to see if I could craft a post that was completely interactive, so that you, the readers, can discover how Periclean Scholars has taken strides toward this Millennium Development Goal (MDG). My next thought, and my challenge for you, is to take these datasets and provide recommendations on how Periclean Scholars can continue to reduce child mortality. Below is the result, in charts and video, as well as the charge for you, my readers.

The focus of the Class of 2007 in Honduras was on chronic malnutrition. I have included the links to their informational video. Unfortunately, I cannot embed these videos because they are in Quicktime format. Please learn more about their work and see footage on the ground in Honduras by clicking on the link for the English version or the Spanish version.

Next, I have included a malnutrition graph for all Periclean countries of focus - past, present, and future. Hover over the graph for more information on the data.

From this data, I conclude that the Honduras group's work has impacted the downward trend in malnutrition prevalence. Honduras is one of the more successful nations in this regard. Based on this dataset, I also think that we can and should help to speed up the downward trend in our Southern Asian nations.

The next dataset visualizes the under-5 mortality rate. This data ties specifically to Target 4.A, and we can see how Periclean nations are faring on this target.

Zambia's statistics are abysmal, which means that the Class of 2009 is right on target to pursue a clinic in Kawama village. Haiti is next, which means that perhaps this should be an area of focus for the Class of 2015. Ghana is trending in the right direction, but the Class of 2010 is still spot-on in addressing child mortality by building the Kpoeta Community Clinic. Sustaining the Ghana clinic, enacting the vision of the Zambia clinic, and inspiring the Class of 2015 to consider a Haiti clinic all show progress toward this MDG.

Please watch this Public Service Announcement (PSA) on Healthcare in Ghana, developed by 2010 Periclean Scholar Andie Diemer.

Based on the information in the above videos and charts, what would you recommend to the Periclean Scholars as a course of action? As a global citizen and stakeholder in the Millennium Development Goals, what types of activities would best move forward the countries of focus to reduce the child mortality rate? Collaboration, partnership, and listening to all stakeholders is the lifeblood of Periclean Scholars. There are many ways to go about reducing child death, from addressing malnutrition to prenatal care to immunizations and so on. Your suggestions are valuable, as well as the reasoning behind your suggestions. 

The information above in charts and videos, as well as the feedback you provide, are reason #13 to support Periclean Scholars: help achieve Millennium Development Goal 4, reduce child mortality.

Reason #12 to Support Periclean Scholars: Help Achieve Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 3, Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women

The end of poverty will come with the contributions, strength, and empowerment of half of its people - and it cannot come any other way. Women’s equality is not a special interest of just a few; the success of all of us, especially women, will determine our fate as a global society. Women have the same right as men to live free from fear, as world peace begins in the home. Enabling women to live freely with dignity will cascade into the other goals, as they use their skills and talents to help others. This narrative will show how Periclean Scholars works toward attaining Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women.

I will begin with an anecdote from Class of 2009’s experience in Zambia. All of the Periclean homeowners have been women, and this is no coincidence. When Habitat for Humanity-Zambia has the opportunity to give the keys to the man or the woman, they will choose to empower the woman. Why? If the house is in the man’s name and the man happens to die, then the man’s family (parents and other relatives) will try to repossess the house from the woman and her children – and often successfully so. By placing the name in the woman’s name instead of the man’s, Habitat for Humanity-Zambia ensures the housing of its families through generations. This experience has shown us that a woman’s place is building the home – physically constructing it, alongside volunteers and professionals – and becoming its steward (or, I should say, stewardess).

Next, I will continue with the unique work of the Class of 2012. This class has advocated for women under the age of 19 through their work at the Comprehensive Rural Health Project (CRHP) in Jamkhed, India. CRHP is home to the Adolescent Girls Program (AGP), a group that provides health education and emphasizes the importance of receiving education before marriage. Agents known as Village Health Workers (VHWs) are the backbone of the program. The Periclean Scholars saw first-hand how this type of targeted education impacted the entire community. By empowering women through this program, men began to do chores assigned traditionally to women, including child care, and women earned more income of their own.

In order to keep the program strong, the Periclean group in India worked to develop a survey on the VHWs’ self-esteem. They taught the VHWs how to administer the survey and generate data related to the outcome of the AGP. This touches on a critical element of the MDGs: adequate measuring tools for goals. Instituting this measuring tool provides a method of accountability and helps to identify areas of strength and of potential improvement. To quantify this data is to give the CRHP a baseline and target for growth.

Compared to other nations, India has many unique challenges on seeing the value in empowering women, due to the huge disconnect between political directives and practice. Some of these challenges are listed below.

1. When India achieved independence, the Constitution was “caste-blind”, but castes remain as a basis for the wealthy to assert their power. The Constitution’s preamble guarantees gender equality as a fundamental right – yet it allows for legislation that discriminates against women. 
2. The 1994 Prenatal Diagnostic Tech Act mandates the end of sex-selective tests and female infanticide, yet India’s male-to-female ratio among infants is among the most skewed in the world at 914 girls per 1,000 boys ages 0-6. 
3. The government also drew up a national policy for the empowerment of women, which addresses gender discrimination. Due to the demands of husbands and families, women have a particularly hard time rising through the ranks in business – and when they do, there are far too many old boys’ clubs to overcome. 
4. Dowries – in which the bride’s family must pay a hefty sum to the groom’s family for the privilege of marriage – have been illegal since the passage of the Dowry Prohibition Act in 1961. Yet, dowries are alive and well; they are a major reason why families resort to infanticide, and one reason why men and their families pressure women to get married. 

It will not be until Indian citizens incorporate the principles of the law into their lives, to create a system of integrity, will they begin to diminish the challenges in empowering women on a wide scale.

As the Class of 2012 enters their final year on campus together, they are considering the possibility of a conference in India to address women’s empowerment. A conference on women’s empowerment would facilitate public-private partnerships and academic discussion on the best means to achieve this goal. A forum such as this for academic discussion and critical thinking would also work to address India’s unique challenges in an honest way. Since the idea is still in its infancy, Periclean support – both by providing affirmation and by offering financial resources – is crucial to making this happen.

Since I opened on a Class of 2009 anecdote, I would like to close on one. One of the greatest blessings that I received very early on in the program was being able to work with my mentor, Steve Braye. He was the very first man who was ever described to me as being a feminist. At first, I thought this bizarre; how could a man, someone seemingly from the opposite side, be in support of women’s equality with his own kind? Then, when I had discussions with Steve in class, I realized this wasn’t such a strange concept. Steve simply wants women to have equal access to education, access to government, equal pay, and other equalities that are in many places only equalities among men. Steve has even challenged me – a strong women’s advocate and safehouse volunteer – to treat women as equals in all aspects, in ways such as using “first-year students” instead of “freshmen” and in challenging common conceptions of women’s capabilities. I believe that this goal can succeed not only because of the desire of women to see it succeed, but because of model men like my mentor, Steve. Even though women’s empowerment was not our primary goal, it was weaved into everything that we did thanks to Steve’s convictions.

This is reason #12 to support Periclean Scholars: help achieve Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 3, promote gender equality and empower women.

Reason #11 to Support Periclean Scholars: Help Achieve Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 2, Achieve Universal Primary Education

Today I continue with part two of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) series. This post will address how Periclean Scholars has made strides toward Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education, and Target 2.A: Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling.

One of the most successful of the MDGs has been this goal. As of 2010, a full 89 percent of children in the developing world were enrolled in primary school.

However, there are still significant challenges that need to be addressed in order for the target to be achieved. For example, rural children are still twice as likely to not be in primary school as urban children. Also, girls from poor households are three and a half times less likely to be in primary school than girls in the richest households and four times less likely than boys in the richest households.

The Class of 2008 worked to advance education of Zapatista children in Chiapas, Mexico, who are very proud of their culture and see education in their native language as the best education. They launched a partnership with Schools for Chiapas in Chiapas, Mexico. A major outcome of this partnership was the rebuilding of a school in San Andres, Chiapas, to ensure the educational dreams and rights of the Zapatista people. The Class of 2013 continues to sustain the partnership with Schools for Chiapas, and they are looking into a pen pal program.

Please watch this video for powerful audio and video from the class’s initial groundwork in 2007 that highlighted San Andres’ educational needs.

 

Elon Project Pericles in Chiapas, Mexico 2007

The Class of 2011 (Sri Lanka group) also worked to advance this MDG, by partnering with a few schools. Aside from Sub-Saharan Africa, Southern Asia represents the world’s greatest need to improve pupil retention rates. I will highlight two of the schools supported, as I believe they exemplify the class’s strides toward achieving universal primary education.

One Periclean partner school is Panangala Junior School. Students at this school come from extremely low income households. By focusing on such a school, the Class of 2011 worked to close the poverty gap among those most vulnerable to dropping out. The class funded a library and books in both Sinhala and English – tools and structures that will provide a lasting impact to many classes of students. Through the Adopt-A-Student Program, the Periclean Scholars also purchased school supplies and new uniforms for each student. Unfortunately, in many developing nations, if you cannot afford a uniform and supplies, you are not allowed to enroll in school. While these costs may seem nominal to those of us in the developed world, access to these items truly determines the future of young people in the developing world.

The second partnership that I will highlight is with a school in the Nuwara Eliya region in Sri Lanka. Many of the boys and girls attending this school are from extremely low income families, as well. The Periclean Scholars listened to the needs of their partner, the school’s principal, and found that the students have a strong thirst for learning all school subjects and the English language. They also have a strong interest in environmental studies and thrive in the school’s community garden and ranger program. As the Class of 2011 transitions to the Periclean Scholars Alumni Association, they identified additional areas of the Nuwara Eliya school to develop. The principal would like to see the quality of education and access improved by adding a media center, a better English program, and more science instruments. The school needs structural work and electricity. The students would also like to set up a pen-pal system with American students. This partnership illustrates that yes, strides have been made, but that yes, there are also ways to improve the quality of education for young boys and girls. Improving this school’s facilities and programs of study will improve the students’ chance to have successful futures in a variety of fields. There is more than one path to success, and students can discover these paths by having access to a great education.

As in the global community, plenty has been achieved – but needs still need to be met. By listening to our partners, the Periclean Scholars are better prepared to meet these needs and work to achieve universal primary education.

I cannot imagine where I would be without a solid primary education, complete with all of the tools and support necessary to foster an environment of nurturing learning. It never mattered how much money my family made compared to my peers, what color my skin was, whether I was male or female, or whether I had a disability. I was privileged enough to be born in a land where primary education was guaranteed. No child should be denied an education during these formative years. The Periclean Scholars have recognized this fact and worked diligently toward MDG 2.

This is reason #11 to support Periclean Scholars: Help achieve Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 2, achieve universal primary education.

Reason #10 to Support Periclean Scholars: Help Achieve Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 1, Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger.

Today, I am going to start a post series on how Periclean Scholars works to achieve the Millennium Development Goals set out by the United Nations (UN). 

In September 2000, the Millennium Summit of the UN set forth the United Nations Millennium Declaration, and from this declaration eight goals have been extrapolated to form the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs):

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.

2. Achieve universal primary education.

3. Promote gender equality and empower women.

4. Reduce child mortality.

5. Improve maternal health.

6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases.

7. Ensure environmental sustainability.

8. Develop a global partnership for development.

With the goals and targets that have been set, we as a society can see the end of poverty remarkably soon - if we work diligently toward them through public and private partnerships.

Whether intentionally or not, the Periclean program has done a lot to work toward these goals and their associated targets. This post series will give examples of how general goals or specific targets have seen progress thanks to the Periclean efforts.

I will mention that the Periclean classes have not addressed each of the MDGs. Periclean Scholars is not a cure-all or silver bullet. The group does a lot of great things for a lot of people and organizations, but it unfortunately cannot address all of the world’s issues. I apologize if I ever gave that impression. To me, Periclean Scholars reminds me of the legend of Seymour the Starfish – where, even if you cannot save everyone, your work and efforts still do make a substantial difference for those you are able to help. Since time and resources will always be in short supply compared to the needs of the world, this is why the Periclean method of vetting partners that work by our mission is particularly significant.

Perhaps, in addition to being a chronicle of how the Periclean Scholars Program has addressed many MDGs, the program can consider this post series and determine which MDGs it may want to begin work on (or work on more heavily) in the future. In addition to honoring achievements, this post series is a new challenge.

This post will focus on Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. In particular, this post addresses Target 1.C: Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger.

One of the most significant strides made toward this goal in the Periclean program was made by (and continues to be made by) the Class of 2010, Ghana focus. Under the guidance and leadership of Periclean Scholars Kristin Schulz and John McGreevy and Elon Winter Term leader (and Ghana Subject Matter Expert) Dr. Brian Digre, the Class of 2010 introduced a magnificent tool for development aid in Ghana: the solar cooker.

Solar cookers are simple and effective tools to prepare food. The cook places food in a plastic oven bag to retain heat and then in a covered black pot. The pot is placed on a reflective surface that enables the greenhouse effect as the pot to absorb the sun’s rays. The food is cooked to a perfect temperature that makes it ready to eat. Each “CooKit” provided by Solar Cookers International includes a cardboard cooker, a pot, a few oven bags, a water pasteurization indicator, and informational material.

Access to a solar cooker improves nutrition, because food cooked in this matter will retain nutrients and not stick to the pot. Solving hunger is not enough if nutrition itself is inadequate, as giving starving children French fries will do little to put nutrients back in their bodies. Solar cookers also improve access to potable water, because they allow a mechanism for pasteurization.

The Periclean Scholars worked with a Ghanaian university and technical school professors and village chiefs to offer local workshops in the communities, to be regularly visited by subsequent winter term groups. As a next step, Elon students were taught about solar cookers and prepared to lead the workshops. In winter term 2010, sixteen CooKits were introduced in Kpoeta, Ghana.

The solar cooker has a huge potential in achieving MDG 1, as it can be applied to other areas of focus across the Periclean program. Alumni from the Class of 2010 and Dr. Digre continue to listen to the community to see if the reaction is positive and the demand increases. A technical school in Ghana has begun discussion on whether they can create their own solar cookers for the village. In other areas of Periclean focus where solar energy has a large potential, the solar cooker can be introduced if the community believes that it would be a useful tool.

The example of the solar cooker demonstrates how development aid – not relief aid – will best achieve MDG 1. Take the Chinese proverb: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Long after Periclean Scholars physically leave the village, village citizens will still be able to cook food and eat - because they have tools to eat. If all that the Pericleans provided were meals for the occasions they were there, then the root of the problem would still be there. The Pericleans addressed the root and worked to prevent hunger long after they leave the village.

This is reason #10 to support Periclean Scholars: help achieve Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 1, eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.