Contacts

92 Bowery St., NY 10013

thepascal@mail.com

+1 800 123 456 789

Category: Blog

Blog

Seizing Opportunities for Global Justice in 2025

ASAP's Initiatives and Outlook

As we enter 2025, the global landscape presents both challenges and opportunities for advancing justice and combating poverty. Thomas Pogge ASAP’s President, notes: “As the virus of national selfishness proliferates, policy talk drifts toward security and armaments, and the policy space for achieving real progress on poverty and theSustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is shrinking. Still, two factors create a special opportunity for 2025. Both the G20 and the COP have good leaders (South Africa and Brazil), providing a small window for reform before the US and Australia take over in 2026. Also, realizing that they can no longer trust the US to direct their foreign policies, European states are more open to independent engagement with countries of the global south and even with China. Let us seize this opportunity to achieve at least one striking step toward global justice.”

This unique moment aligns perfectly with ASAP’s ongoing initiatives and our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). South Africa’s leadership of the G20 is particularly significant, as ASAP has long advocated for greater representation of African nations in global governance. This development, coupled with the African Union’s inclusion as a permanent G20 member, presents an unprecedented opportunity to amplify voices from the Global South in shaping international policy.

In response to this pivotal moment, ASAP has launched the inaugural Nelson Mandela Essay Prize Competition. This initiative aims to nurture young African scholars, encouraging them to address pressing continental issues and propose innovative solutions for global governance. By providing a platform for emerging African voices, we hope to contribute to a more inclusive and diverse dialogue on poverty eradication and sustainable development.

Our ongoing Amartya Sen Essay Competition continues to play a crucial role in fostering critical thinking on global justice issues. The 12th round, focusing on illicit financial flows and their impact on poverty, directly addresses SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). By encouraging scholarly examination of these complex issues, we aim to generate innovative ideas that can inform policy and practice.

The ASAP Fellowship Program, now in its second year, further supports our commitment to nurturing the next generation of poverty scholars and activists. This initiative, which aligns with SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), provides mentorship and networking opportunities to emerging researchers, particularly from lower-income countries.

Journal ASAP continues to be a vital platform for disseminating cutting-edge research on poverty alleviation strategies. Recent publications have explored topics such as sustainable agriculture practices and community-based mental health programs, addressing SDGs 2 (Zero Hunger) and 3 (Good Health and Well-being) respectively.

As we navigate the complex global landscape of 2025, ASAP remains committed to leveraging these initiatives to drive progress towards the SDGs. By fostering collaboration between established and emerging scholars, particularly from the Global South, we aim to generate innovative solutions to persistent poverty challenges and contribute to a more equitable global governance structure. Let us indeed seize this opportunity to achieve at least one striking step toward global justice.

Blog

We Dare, We Inspire, We Leave an Imprint

Academics Stand Against Poverty (ASAP) is honored to have Dr. Thalia Arawi as a valued member of our organization. Dr. Arawi, the Founding Director and advisor for Khelkhal, has been instrumental in shaping the vision and success of this student-led initiative. Khelkhal, meaning “anklet” in Arabic, symbolizes beauty, audacity, and the lingering chime of a movement. This inspiring volunteering initiative, based at the American University of Beirut’s Faculty of Medicine, aims to spread ethics education, foster humanism, and alleviate poverty. We are excited to announce that Khelkhal will also play a significant role in building the PanArab ASAP chapter this year, expanding its reach and impact beyond Lebanon.

Making a Difference in the Community
Since its establishment in 2019 by Bashar Hassan, a Med III student, and Dr. Thalia Arawi, Khelkhal has grown exponentially, currently engaging over 280 volunteers from across the country and the region. While rooted in the SHBPP Faculty of Medicine, Khelkhal is not solely a medical initiative; it embodies the essence of humanism and focuses on addressing the dire socio-economic challenges faced by Lebanon and the wider region. The volunteers at Khelkhal have exhibited remarkable adaptability, responding swiftly to emerging needs in their community. From organizing bake sales to provide essential medications to patients at outpatient clinics, to collaborating with local NGOs to address food insecurity and distributing rations to vulnerable families affected by economic crises, Khelkhal has consistently demonstrated its commitment to humanitarian causes.

Compassion in the Face of Tragedy
The tragic August 4 Beirut blast in 2020 left a devastating impact on the city and its inhabitants. Khelkhal, true to its mission, immediately mobilized its dedicated volunteers to support the affected community. They actively participated in street clean-up initiatives and extended a helping hand by providing clothing and food rations to those displaced by the explosion. Collaborating with local mental health NGOs, Khelkhal also conducted workshops and group therapy sessions for children and parents, offering much-needed support in processing the traumatic events of that fateful year.

Responding to the Pandemic and Beyond
As the Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated Lebanon’s economic collapse, Khelkhal stepped up its efforts to alleviate the plight of the most vulnerable. Multiple food and clothing donation campaigns were carried out, resulting in two truckloads of non-perishable foodstuffs being delivered to orphanages in Tripoli, one of the country’s densely populated cities. In parallel, Khelkhal diligently gathered funds to sustain the Medical Humanism Fund, established under SHBPP, to cover medical expenses for underprivileged patients. Despite being a completely student-led initiative with no external funding, Khelkhal has consistently relied on the unwavering humanistic spirit of donors and volunteers to continue its vital work.

Extending Support Beyond Borders
Khelkhal’s commitment to humanism knows no boundaries. The initiative has also played a significant role in providing assistance to neighboring countries affected by disasters, such as Palestine and Syria. Through diligent collection and distribution of donations, Khelkhal ensures that aid reaches those in need, fostering solidarity and compassion across borders.

Looking Ahead
The impact of Dr. Thalia Arawi’s guidance and Khelkhal’s tireless efforts in fostering community, humanism, and tackling poverty cannot be overstated. The initiative’s remarkable success and dedication have inspired us to envision Khelkhal as a chain initiative that expands its reach to several countries, strengthening the bond between communities and leaving an enduring imprint of compassion and support.

In conclusion, we invite you to join us in celebrating the remarkable work being done by Dr. Thalia Arawi, the founding director of Khelkhal, and the entire team of dedicated volunteers. Their unwavering commitment to humanism and their ability to respond to the evolving needs of the community is truly inspiring. As we collectively strive to build a more inclusive and caring world, let us remember that together, we can dare, inspire, and leave an indelible imprint of positive change.

Blog

Unraveling the Interplay of Poverty and Migration

We are delighted to share the highlights of the Poverty and Migration Webinar, hosted by Academics Stand Against Poverty (ASAP) on June 2, 2023. This enlightening event brought together distinguished speakers who shared their expertise on various dimensions of the intricate relationship between poverty and migration. This post provides a summary of the webinar’s key discussions and encourages readers to access the recording to deepen their understanding of this pressing global issue.

Session 1

Dr. Teresita Cruz Del Rosario kicked off the webinar with her presentation on “Migrating out of Poverty.” Her talk examined the transformative potential of migration as a strategy for poverty alleviation. Dr. Del Rosario discussed the complex motivations behind migration, the challenges faced by individuals and communities in poverty-stricken areas, especially in Eastern Asia, and the opportunities that migration can provide for improved livelihoods. Her insightful analysis shed light on the diverse pathways through which migration can contribute to escaping poverty.

Dr. Nita Mishra, a respected scholar in migration studies, presented on “Students Making Sense of Migration & Poverty.” Her presentation highlighted the pivotal role of education in fostering an understanding of the intertwined nature of migration and poverty. Dr. Mishra emphasized the importance of equipping students with critical thinking skills to analyze the socio-economic factors driving migration and perpetuating poverty. Her talk underscored the significance of empowering the younger generation to become active agents of change in tackling these complex issues. She was also joined by her student, Evelina Mikneviciute, who spoke on her personal experience of migration and poverty, as well as the process of learning through the migration project in Dr. Mishra’s class.

Session 2

In the  second session of the webinar, Dr. Catherine Wihtol de Wenden offered valuable insights on “The Structural Factors of Mobility for International Migrants.” Her presentation explored the underlying structural factors that influence migration patterns on a global scale. Dr. Wihtol de Wenden delved into the complex interplay of political, economic, and social forces shaping mobility for international migrants. Her comprehensive analysis underscored the need to consider these structural factors when formulating policies and interventions to address the challenges faced by migrants and to foster inclusive and sustainable development.

Dr. Joseph A. Yaro: Migrating from Poverty to Opportunity Dr. Joseph A. Yaro concluded the webinar with his talk on “Migrating from Poverty to Opportunity.” He offered a thought-provoking discussion on the journey of migrants who seek to transcend poverty and seize opportunities for socioeconomic advancement. Dr. Yaro shared insights from his research, highlighting successful cases and identifying key factors that contribute to positive migration outcomes. His presentation provided a framework for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers to develop context-specific strategies that empower migrants to escape poverty and realize their full potential.

The Poverty and Migration Webinar 2023 provided a platform for leading experts to engage in insightful discussions on the complex relationship between poverty and migration. The presentations by Dr. Teresita Cruz Del Rosario, Dr. Nita Mishra, Dr. Catherine Wihtol de Wenden, and Dr. Joseph A. Yaro illuminated various facets of this multidimensional issue. We encourage all interested individuals to watch the recording of the webinar below to gain a deeper understanding of the topics explored and to contribute to ongoing efforts in addressing poverty and migration. Together, let us strive for a world where no one is left behind.

Dr. Teresita Cruz Del Rosario

Dr. Nita Mishra

Dr. Joseph A. Yaro

Dr. Catherine Wihtol de Wenden

Blog

Advocating for a G21​

This policy brief advocates for the inclusion of the African Union in the G20 for ethical reasons.

The G20 or Group of Twenty is one of the most powerful multilateral platforms today. It plays an important role in shaping and strengthening global governance on all major international economic issues. Its key achievements include cooperation on tax transparency, increasing female participation in the workforce, enhancingfood security, and reducing the debt burden on the world’s poorest countries.

The G20 has one major limitation. Fortunately, this limitation – that it leaves out 96% of Africa’s population – can be easily remedied by including the African Union.

There are many political, social, economic and governance reasons for adding the African Union to the G20

This values-driven policy brief argues that the African Union should be included in the G20 to promote the values of fairness, respect, care and honesty.

On participatory fairness, the inclusion of the African Union in the G20 would represent a masterstroke of fairness combined with efficiency, in that it would grant representation to 54 more countries than the status quo, with just one additional seat.

On substantive fairness, African countries are suffering disproportionate losses due to climate change. The burden of championing African interests in the G20 should no longer rest on South Africa alone.

Externally driven G20 initiatives can consign Africa to a passive and consultative role, which runs counter to the value of respect. Inclusion of the African Union in the G20 would meet this concern.

To leave no-one behind is a central promise of Agenda 2030. This requires an ethics of care and support. With the current finance and borrowing mechanisms driven by the G20, African governments cannot support their populations appropriately.

The G20 has called for stronger global cooperation, praised the strengths of regional ownership by the African Union, and reiterated its support for Africa. The necessary step, to show the G20’s honesty of intention and integrity, is to follow through with a G21.

Procedural fairness, fair processes, and participatory fairness require that every country should have a seat at a decision- making table that discusses our common future and the most important world issues affecting us all.

"The population of Sub-Saharan Africa is projected to double by 2050 while Europe’s population continues to shrink. Over the same period, Africa is likely to have the fastest urban growth rate."

The current urban populations of Cairo (21 million), Lagos (15 million), and Kinshasa (15 million) illustrate this trend. Africa only has one seat at the G20 table, that of South Africa. This means that 96% of Africa’s population is currently not represented at the G20. In 2021, South Africa had a smaller GDP than Nigeria ($419 billion in comparison with $441 billion), but it shoulders the responsibility of representing an entire continent.

One could argue that efficiency requirements make it impossible to grant procedural fairness (in the form of national representation) in every forum, and that all countries are, in any case, represented at the United Nations. Indeed, one of the strengths of the G20 is that it operates with an efficiency that allows for quicker and more flexible problem-solving. Yet by including the EU, the group accommodated, at a stroke, input from 27 countries in a coordinated way that did not jeopardize efficiency.

A similar masterstroke is possible today. The inclusion of the African Union would bring all 55 African countries into the G20, thus giving representation to 54 countries more than the status quo, at the cost of just one additional seat.

The minimum requirement of substantive fairness is that one should not be harmed by others. The countries of the African Union are responsible for around 3.6% of global carbon emission, represent 18% of the global population, and lose 5% to 15% of GDP due to climate change – and yet they have no seat at the G20 decision- making table, where climate change and other causes of global economic crises are discussed, and consequent action decided upon.

A seat for the African Union – a G21, in other words – would enable Africa to push for more substantive fairness on climate change and global economic policies.

The G20 formulated a response to COVID-19 for Africa when only South Africa was formally a member of the G20. The response aimed to “help protect and assist the most vulnerable and those most at-risk because of the pandemic, who generally suffer disproportionate impacts, including women and girls, youth, people withdisabilities, the elderly, migrants, refugees, displaced people, and indigenous people”.

It has been argued that “all these G20 initiatives consign Africa to a passive, consultative, or at best diminutive role”, which runs counter to the value of respect. Adding the African Union to the G20 would address this concern while only adding one seat.

African countries need access to key global decision-making bodies to advocate for structures and policies that care for the needs of the poor and leave no-one behind. The G20 is such a body.

In 2021, the G20 High Level Independent Panel on Financing the Global Commons for Pandemic Preparedness and Response report argued that

in a historically unprecedented way, security for people around the world now depends on global cooperation.

The report also noted that “ the current pandemic has demonstrated the strengths of regional ownership, e.g. the major initiatives taken by the African Union”.

In 2022, under the Indonesian presidency, G20 Heads of States were “deeply concerned that multidimensional crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as lack of fiscal space and unequal access to finance and technology, are posing significant challenges towards realizing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. The G20 Heads of States declared: “We also reiterate our continued support to Africa”.

The G20 could prove its fidelity, honesty, and transparency in relation to previously expressed support for Africa by admitting the African Union into its ranks.

To promote fairness, respect, care, and honesty and to permit better preparation for the next global pandemic, the admission of the African Union into the G20 is recommended.

-Sachin Chaturvedi, Pamla Gopaul, Stephan Klingebiel, Klaus Leisinger, Michael Makanga, Thomas Pogge, Riatu Qibthiyyah, Jeffrey Sachs, Doris Schroeder, Elizabeth Sidiropoulos, Peter Singer

 
Blog

Democracy In All Policies

In small communities, civic and democratic practices are already evident in everyday habits, customs, therefore behavior-change interventions in such places must include them.

-Mihai Lupu

Mihai Lupu is an ASAP board  member and the founder of EduCab.  His academic and practical focus is on harnessing the potential of various organizations, such as public libraries and community centers, within small to medium-sized communities to initiate, curate, and foster critical thinking-based knowledge, democratic practices, and exposure to diversity-focused contexts that contribute to enhancing community-oriented and civic engagement practices worldwide. 

Through his work, Mihai demonstrates that in small communities, civic and democratic practices are already evident in everyday habits, customs and therefore behavior-change interventions in such places must include them.

He calls these practices small-scale democracies, and he emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and also acting on the democracy distance, which refers to the gap between established democratic narratives and practices and citizens’ understanding of their local customs and practices as essentially democratic instances with civic value.

To facilitate this understanding, Mihai breaks down the concept of democracy into smaller units of indices and indicators that can make more sense for citizens in villages and small towns.

He demonstrates that such indices and indicators are easier to be regarded as having democratic value to people, if they are seen with their relevance into day-to-day actions and experiences, while providing a wider range of space for specific interactions at the local level, tackled by anchor institutions like public libraries. Additionally, Mihai expands the concept of community beyond the classic territorial approach and diasporas to include all those who contribute to and are connected to these communities.

Throughout his work on this topic, Mihai draws on academic and non-academic literature to open discussions with new questions and ways of tackling his ideas. He also uses various examples of interventions and results achieved through the EduCaB program and methodology, which he founded and continues to implement in over 400 communities worldwide, while relating them to existing practices and approaches.

…a library can promote democratic practices and the overall experience of democracy while capitalizing on existing resources. 

Mihaita Lupu

Libraries are seen as miniature Agoras, contributing to the larger scale Agora by improving citizens’ well-being and quality of life through the way they relate to themselves and to each other. The questions and examples presented in his research aim to start a larger conversation among those who care about reviving communities and democratic practices in small communities, asking how much we do not use from what democracies can offer right now and how much a library can do to promote democratic practices and the overall experience of democracy while capitalizing on existing resources. 

Since this exercise it’s just at the beginning, the larger scope being to capture the potential of all core local institutions and stakeholders to translate indicators of democracy into specific actions easily recognizable by citizens, he names his approach ‘Democracy within all policies’, this being an EduCaB concept and program, developed in partnership with Academics Stand Against Poverty (ASAP), Yale Global Justice Program, Kettering Foundation, Periphery Inc. and the network of public libraries and community centers supported through EduCaB.

Mihai Lupu