Salem-News.com Poverty articles Page 18

Prince William Writes Personal Christmas Message for Street Papers

Homelessness is an issue close to the Prince's heart.

(VICTORIA, B.C.) - PRINCE William has paid a personal and emotional Christmas tribute to those who he calls the "restorers of hope," who care for the welfare of homeless people around the world.

Writing exclusively for an estimated five million readers of 'street' newspapers and magazines - that's those sold by homeless street vendors - the Prince says his thoughts are with everyone who finds themselves without a roof over their head.

Water Out of Thin Air

Collecting water from fog is a technique that has been used for almost 30 years in some mountainous parts of Chile; the technique's success is now used in the dry areas of South Africa.

(SUB-SAHARA, African) - In many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, people are forced to travel long distances and spend hours at a time collecting the water needed for cooking and drinking from far away streams or wells.

But the residents of Cabazane, South Africa have found a much less labor intensive alternative. They use gravity and let water come to them.

Debt Collectors, Debt Collection Law Suits, PayDay Loans

Don't be sharkbait; learn your rights...

(CLEVELAND) - We are living out a real time scenario of human trial and tribulation for in the United States right now and those who haven't felt the impact of the nation's failing economy are few and far between. And those who haven't felt the pinch yet might just as well steady themselves.

UNHCR: Criminalizing Search for Asylum is No Answer

Are these realities exclusively prevalent to Africa, or could it be that Asylee seekers encounter the same abuse from which they are fleeing; everywhere, on every continent, in every country?

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Asylum-seekers suffer hardship in detention on every continent.

“It has reached the point in some countries where there are actually more due process safeguards regulating detention of criminals than of asylum-seekers, the very large majority of whom have committed no crime.”

Africa: Faces in Words

New weekly update on the breaking stories in the African nations.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Unseen, unheard; no one should be the bearer of these two words. Unfortunately, Africa is often in the forefront of this association.

Our common humanity should change this; we should never look away because it is too distant. Our commitment to one another, to human rights, and the ability to learn should always keep us connected no matter the severity and complexity of problems.

Dissolving the Union

The topmost few have fared well over the past three decades. Then there’s everyone else. The top 1% own 34% of all private net worth; the bottom 90% own 29%.

(TEMPE, Az.) - For those who think the U.S. is broke, think again. It’s far more serious than that.

To renew Bush-era tax cuts for our most well-to-do 2% would reduce U.S. government revenues by $700 billion over the decade. That shortfall will need to be borrowed.

IFAD Study: 350 Million Rural People Pull Out of Desperate Poverty in Past Decade

Rural Poverty Report shows mixed results across regions, opportunities for progress in changing agricultural markets

(ROME) - Despite improvements over the past 10 years that have lifted more than 350 million rural people out of extreme poverty, global poverty remains a massive and predominantly rural phenomenon.

70 per cent of the developing world’s 1.4 billion extremely poor people living in rural areas are affected, according to a report released today.

Hillary Clinton Called to Voice Need for Accountability and Support of DR Congo.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - It is a sad day for humanity when the very essence of our existence is overlooked.

The ability to mutilate not only physically, but also mentally; people and families is deafening. Humanity is not American, it is not Asian, it is not African; it is human!”

Oregonians Call On Congress to Let Bush-Era High-Income Tax Cuts Expire

"Tax cuts for the wealthy do not help create economic demand for small businesses." - Jim Houser, Oregon Small Business Council

(SILVERTON, Ore.) - With Congress having reconvened this week for its lame-duck session, a group of Oregonians today urged lawmakers to let the Bush-era tax cuts for those at the highest income levels expire, calling it the "responsible" course of action.

"Every dollar spent on tax cuts for the wealthy is a dollar not available to invest in our nation and its people," said Janet Bauer, policy analyst with the Oregon Center for Public Policy.

Latest USDA Hunger Report Shows Hunger Crisis Continues in Oregon

(Corvallis, Oregon) - Hunger in Oregon continued to hover far above the national average as the Great Recession battered Oregon's economy, according to the 2009 hunger report released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Oregon, once again, remains among the top five hungriest states in the nation, as it was last year. About 13.9 percent of households more than half-a-million Oregonians suffered food insecurity. And 6.6 percent of households more than 225,000 individuals -- suffer very low food security or hunger.