Photo Essay: On the Ground with Waves For Water in the Philippines

While the Philippine Islands were being struck by Super Typhoon Haiyan’s wrath, Jon Rose, Founder of Waves For Water, was already hatching his plan to help.

W4W began work in the Philippines in response to Typhoon Haiyan and continues to support areas with water shortages. 

In 2013, the Philippines was hit by one of the most devastating typhoons ever recorded: Typhoon Haiyan. The natural disaster affected people throughout Southeast Asia and killed 6,300 people in the Philippines alone. Throughout the country, over 4.3 million people were affected. One major impact of the typhoon was its obstruction of access to clean water. 

To address this problem, Jon Rose, founder of Waves for Water (W4W), arrived in the Philippines ready to distribute his organization’s water filters among “forgotten pockets,” communities that were not “the focal point of major relief efforts.” His method of distribution and relief relied on the “train-the trainer, local-based model” in which W4W organizers “empower” and “facilitate” for local people rather than decide “who gets what, when, where and how.” Two years after the typhoon, W4W established an office in the Philippines, where it is currently registered as a non-profit organization. Since 2015, W4W has built 66 rainwater catchment systems and provided over a million Filipinos with access to clean water. In December of 2021, the organization helped to address the devastation caused by Hurricane Odette in Siargao, Philippines through a partnership with Billabong. Currently, W4W is providing aid for those impacted by Tropical Depression Agaton, which has displaced 1.9 million people in Visayas and Mindanao, Philippines. You can contribute to this specific effort here. 

W4W’s humanitarian efforts are not limited to the Philippines. Since its inception in 2009, the organization has made an impact in 44 countries, including Mozambique, Ecuador, Sierra Leone and Chile, and has helped 3.75 million people gain reliable access to clean drinking water. W4W currently has 24r active programs helping to address water access issues. These programs seek to provide aid to citizens of Ukraine, Australia, Haiti and Guatemala. You can learn more and help out here.

Jon Rose

As a pro surfer of 13 years, Jon Rose traveled the world in pursuit of perfect waves. It was this passion that led him to development of Waves for Water in 2009. He hopes to see W4W enlist and empower travers to help solve the world water crisis.

The Downside of Ecotourism

The term ecotourism has been around for decades but the misunderstanding and overuse of the term has led to a lack of environmental success in a CO2 sucking industry. Places like Machu Picchu now receives over 6,000 visitors a day during peak season, making it hard to properly conserve the historical site.

According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, tourism as a whole makes up 10% of global GDP and supports over 319 million jobs. That is a huge industry but it also has a huge environmental impact. Air traffic alone accounts for 5% of CO2 emissions globally and the number of air passengers is expected to only grow, reaching 13 billion by 2030. In addition, tourists often use more resources than locals, eating at restaurants, using more water, generating more waste, and driving rental cars. Often desired tourist destinations are ones of natural beauty, with high densities in coastal, mountain, and lake areas. These environments are more susceptible to environmental degradation and increased traffic to protected areas can affect conservation efforts. A potential solution: eco-tourism. 

Ecotourism was defined in 1990 by the The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) with a focus on, “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people”. It has good intentions: natural conservation and benefiting locals. Often eco-lodges do have greener accommodations but they can often be in remote locations, therefore requiring more carbon emissions to get there. Human presence in isolated areas will always have effects on the local land and wildlife no matter how much it is tried to be controlled. The more popular eco-tourist destinations become, the harder it is to limit the impact. 

A great example of this is Machu Picchu. Tourism is the second largest industry in Peru. Machu Picchu specifically is a highly sought-after tourist destination. The tourism there has had a huge impact on the environment. UNESCO recommended the Peruvian government to limit numbers to 2,000 a day to reduce the degradation. Instead, the government switched the ticketing process to half-day tickets, effectively increasing daily numbers from 2,500 to over 6,000, with an additional 500 a day on the Inca Trail. The lack of infrastructure supporting these numbers leads to an even higher impact. There is only one bathroom at the entrance and human waste is a huge problem. The closest village, Aguas Calientes, has resorted to pumping human waste into the Urubamba River. Increases in garbage, especially plastic water bottles, on the Inca Trail also contributes to uncontrolled waste. Jobs provided to locals are seasonal, often poorly paid, and have a huge physical cost. Machu Picchu had the potential to be a great eco-tourist site but overcrowding and mismanagement has led to a lack of conservation and hurting local communities. Yet, it still viewed and even advertised as eco-tourism. 

The term ecotourism is now over used. It has been stretched from its original purpose to encompass any nature-related travel and to many is synonymous with sustainable. This is far from true and with companies using greenwashing, consumers are not sure what they are paying for. Greenwashing is when organizations falsely advertise through an environmentally-friendly lens. In tourism this is often increased by inconsistencies in certifying bodies. Or in something as simple as have a sign in the bathroom promoting water conservation. This has a huge impact on the effectiveness of ecotourism when people who are trying to be environmentally conscious end up supporting the wrong businesses. Eco-tourism also tends to draw from a wealthier demographic, with 57% of people making over $150.000 saying they would book an eco-tourist trip, compared to 16% at $34,000. This is largely influenced by the higher price of eco-tourist trips. If ecotourism is to decrease the large environmental impact of tourism as a whole, it has a lot of work to do to limit greenwashing, overcrowding, and transportation effects while increasing affordability, minimizing local impact and supporting local communities. 

DEVIN O’DONNELL

Devin’s interest in travel was cemented by a multi-month trip to East Africa when she was 19. Since then, she has continued to have immersive experiences on multiple continents. Devin has written for a start-up news site and graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Neuroscience.

Pride and Punishment: The Struggles of the LGBTQ+ Community of Africa

In 32 African countries, homosexuality is deemed unlawful—punishable by imprisonment and in some cases, death. The LGBTQ+ community is fighting prejudice in a battle to be their truest selves.

Ugandan citizens at a pride parade. Chrisjohnbeckett. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Out of the 54 countries that make up the African continent, 32 of them outlaw homosexuality. Historically a continent that traveling members of the queer community steer clear of, Africa has a deep and intricate history with politics surrounding sexuality. However, Africans who identify with the LGBTQ+ community fight fiercely to change legislation, stigma and prejudice in their respective countries, challenging this lineage of controversy. Those who are brave enough to protest for their rights to love whomever they desire organize in-person parades and protests, while those under threat of harm—or even death—find ways to demonstrate their pride in, generating virtual communities and workshops that allow for the LGBTQ+ community to connect across the globe without leaving the safety of their homes.

Map of African countries with anti-gay laws. Amnesty International. CC BY-ND

To understand the hardships facing the LGBTQ+ community of Africa today, it is important to know the causal factors that led to such a homophobic climate. Anti-queer sentiments were introduced to the continent during Western colonization; previous to imperialism affects on the continent, African tribes in many regions practiced homosexuality freely. Val Kalende writes in The Guardian that “there is ethnographic evidence of same-sex relationships in pre-colonial Africa.” This cultural history also demonstrates the lack of importance placed on strict gender roles. 

Additionally, the evidence also shows the practice of choice-based pronoun usage; women in positions of power would occasionally label themselves with male pronouns. Post-colonization laws that targeted the cultural muting of African traditions and practices formed the foundations for homophobia by outlawing same-sex relationships and visibly impacted African sentiments around the LGBTQ+ community for the foreseeable future.

Now, on the foundations of decades of hatred inspired by colonizers and imperialists, queer citizens of countries throughout Africa struggle under harsh legislation to simply be their truest selves. In most of the 32 countries that outlaw same-sex relationships, legislation punishes queer people by prison time and fines. Financial punishments vary in size and currency depending on the country. Prison sentences also range widely, varying anywhere between one year (as demonstrated in Ethiopia’s legislation) and lifetime imprisonment (such is the law in Kenya). 

There are four countries in Africa that make same sex relationships punishable by death: Mauritania, Somalia, Nigeria and South Sudan. In Nigeria, a country ranked by Forbes as #1 in “The 20 Most Dangerous Places for LGBTQ+ Travelers,” members of the LGBTQ+ community who are found out be participating in homosexual relationships face death by stoning.  

LGBTQ+ activists hanging signs. Distelfliege. CC BY 2.0.

Despite the gravity of the punishments for being queer, brave members of the LGBTQ+ community continue to demonstrate their pride. Unwilling to be silenced, queer people all around Africa organize pride parades, protests and online conferences to discuss ways they can fight the systemic homophobia they face in legislation. Further, the same people work hard to destigmatize same-sex relationships, challenging the post-colonial homophobia that has overpowered the original nature of African culture. 

Groups like PRIDE OF AFRICA (POA) organize yearly events to celebrate pride, inviting and encouraging queer Africans to “live their most authentic selves.” POA also founded the Johannesburg Pride Parade in 2019, which has recently gone online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but continues to invite members of the LGBTQ+ community to speak and rally. POA also holds online conferences, so those who wish to stay at home and stay anonymous can do so to limit the threat of prejudicial punishments. 

For activists in imminent danger should their sexuality be outed, their protesting and pride demonstrations are more closely guarded. For those who need to seek exile in other countries or continents after being unexpectedly outed, journalism, photography and participation in parades like UK Black Pride (which focuses on Pride in the Black community and is based in London) are their only options to avoid death while still being able to demonstrate their pride. 

To Get Involved

There are a handful of organizations centered on the eradication of hate crimes, stigmatization, improper health care and prejudicial legislation that accept donations to support their missions. Organizations like OUT that support the destigmatization of queer lifestyles and SHE (Social, Health and Empowerment Collective) specifically serve the African queer community. To find a collective list of legitimate organizations including OUT, SHE, and other foundations actively assisting the LGBTQ+ community of Africa, click here.

POA and UK Black Pride serve the same purposes: to allow for queer Africans to have a safe place to demonstrate their pride. POA takes place mostly online and in South Africa, and UK Black Pride is held in London.

To learn more about POA events, mission statements, and goals, click here.

To learn more about the UK Black Pride Parade and their mission statements, click here.

Ava Mamary

Ava is an undergraduate student at the University of Illinois, double majoring in English and Communications. At school, she Web Writes about music for a student-run radio station. She is also an avid backpacker, which is where her passion for travel and the outdoors comes from. She is very passionate about social justice issues, specifically those involving women’s rights, and is excited to write content about social action across the globe.

Floods, Drought, and Famine: The Story of Climate Refugees

Due to the climate crisis, millions will be forced to migrate to escape natural disasters. However, the current legal framework surrounding refugees does not account for these climate refugees, raising questions about the future.

Flood Emergency Response in Pakistan. Asian Development Bank. CC 2.0

Kiribati is sinking. Due to rising sea levels exacerbated by climate change, it is estimated that the small Pacific island nation will be underwater by 2100. This poses an immense threat to Kiribati’s 114,189 citizens, many of whom are at the risk of losing their homes and livelihoods to the rapidly rising seas. 

Kiribati is not alone; many countries across the world are facing climate-related hardships such as drought, flooding, rising seas and increased hurricane frequency. The Institute for Economics and Peace estimates climate change may displace 1.2 billion people by 2050, mostly in developing nations ill-equipped to deal with natural disasters. This issue of climate change-induced displacement has led to the creation of a new type of refugee: the climate refugee.  

The term “refugee” typically conjures up an image of someone fleeing sudden violence or persecution, not comparatively gradual changes in the climate. This is reflected in the language of the UN’s 1951 Refugee Convention, which defines a refugee as “someone who is unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.” Climate refugees are currently not afforded any legal protections by the United Nations, and the agency argues the current definition of refugee is sufficient. However, the dramatic rise in the number of people displaced due to environmental reasons has led to calls for climate refugees to be afforded full refugee status under international law. 

In 2015, Kiribati citizen Ioane Teitiota sued the government of New Zealand to become the first climate refugee. Teitiota argued he had lost his house to the sea, salt water had flooded his lands, and therefore by deporting him back to Kiribati, the New Zealand government was effectively dooming his family to poverty and instability. Teitiota’s argument was rejected on the grounds that he did not fit the criteria of a refugee under the 1951 Convention, and that changes in the climate did not pose an imminent danger. 

The case of Ioane Teitiota and Kiribati raises questions that wealthy countries such as New Zealand will increasingly be forced to deal with. One question is that of equity; what does the Global North, responsible for 72% of historical emissions, owe to the people of the Global South who will bear the brunt of climate change related displacement? Extreme heat waves in India, flooding in Senegal and drought in Guatemala have already sent waves of migrants searching for a more hospitable environment. However, since current international law lacks a sufficient mechanism to support climate refugees, many will be turned away as Teitiota was. 

To Get Involved 

As climate patterns continue to become more extreme, millions will be displaced from their homes and forced to change their way of life. Climate Refugees is an organization that seeks to support climate refugees through advocacy aimed at shaping policy. The Environmental Justice Foundation fights for legal protections for climate refugees while also pressuring governments to reduce their emissions. The International Organization for Migration seeks to provide humanitarian aid to refugees while working with governments to facilitate cooperation on climate-related issues. 

Ronan Morrill

Ronan is a sophomore at the University of California Berkeley studying history. He is an associate editor of Clio's Scroll, Berkeley's undergraduate history journal, and rows for the Cal Lightweight Crew team. He loves hiking and exploring the outdoors and is passionate about protecting the environment and preserving outdoor spaces. In his spare time he enjoys reading, running, and hanging out with his dogs.

Art Campaign Draws Attention to Detention of Human Rights Student

Coptic Christian University of Bologna graduate student Patrick Zaki has been detained in Cairo for his human rights work. He awaits his trial amidst international protest and artistic efforts to raise awareness of his case.

Patrick Zaki pre-detention in 2020. Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights. CC BY-SA 4.0.

Cutouts and paintings of a line-drawn young man with “Freedom for Patrick Zaki” scrawled across the chest are plastered on almost every surface around the college-town of Bologna, Italy. Zaki is a Coptic Egyptian master’s student with an Erasmus scholarship to pursue a degree in Women and Gender Studies at the University of Bologna. He also serves as a researcher and advocate for the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, a Cairo-based human rights organization.

Zaki returned to Egypt for a short family visit on February 7, 2020. Upon arriving at the airport in Cairo, he was arrested by the National Security Agency (NSA) of Egypt and detained on the grounds of “disseminating false news” and “inciting to protest” because of an article he published about discrimination faced by Coptic Christians in Egypt. He was taken to an undisclosed location, where, according to Zaki’s lawyer, he was blindfolded, handcuffed, threatened, beaten on the back and stomach, and tortured with electrical shocks during a17-hour-long interrogation about his human rights work and time in Italy. 

The drawing on the cutouts was created by artist Gianluca Constantini a few hours after the news of Zaki’s disappearance broke. The illustration was then adopted by Amnesty International’s campaign for his release. It can be seen printed on giant posters at Piazza Maggiore (the central square) and under the Two Towers (Bologna’s main tourist attraction). It was featured prominently in the protests organized by students, human rights organizations and several Italian universities, which have led 100 cities in Italy (including Bologna, Florence, Milan and Naples) to grant Zaki honorary citizenship. 

The audience of the drawing and its intended audience depends on where the cutouts are placed. Those placed around college campuses—including 150 filling an entire university library—immediately after Zaki’s arrest were meant to generate awareness and outrage. Now, students in Bologna have known about the case for two years, so the purpose of the cutouts isn’t as much to inform and inflame but to serve as a reminder that the struggle is far from over. The drawings placed in and around popular tourist attractions serve to draw international awareness to the ongoing issue. 

Following a robust student movement and international outcry, Zaki was released from prison on December 9, 2021, after 22 months behind bars. The charges against him have not been dropped, and if convicted, he faces up to five years in prison. His hearing has been postponed from February 1, 2022 to April 6. Zaki, who sees the drawn out judicial process as another form of torture, has requested authorization from Egyptian authorities to return to Italy.

Still, Zaki and his family are thankful for the partial victory. When he was released, his mother told journalists, “I’m jumping for joy!”  

Zaki, with quiet optimism, says, “The first thing I will do when I return to Bologna is to go and spend the whole day in Piazza Maggiore, meet my friends from the university and eat the exquisite Italian food.” 

He is also aware of the drawing and the accompanying journalism. 

“Art plays a leading role in advancing the cases of political prisoners and expanding their circles of support by creating awareness of their legal affairs” Zaki said. “My case is living proof: art has played a fundamental part in regaining my freedom, albeit still partially. I would like to thank Gianluca and journalist Laura Cappon who wrote a book about the case illustrated by Constantini for their activism over the past two years and for their support. I hope they continue to use their talents to free other prisoners of conscience.” 

To Get Involved

As Zaki’s case continues and the hearing unfolds, artwork by Gianluca and others will likely play a central role in stirring public consciousness and continued investment. To support the case and continue to apply international pressure, you can sign the Scholars at Risk Network (SAR) letter of appeal to release Zaki. The organization also provides a letter template to send to your representatives, requesting they engage with their Egyptian counterparts to work towards freeing Zaki. Social media can also be used to raise awareness by tagging your elected officials in tweets with #FreePatrick.

Izzy Balaban

Izzy is a student at the University of Chicago, currently pursuing a Creative Writing degree with a minor in Human Rights. She is originally from Atlanta, Georgia. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys traveling, trying new food and reading in her hammock. 

Eradicating Guinea Worm Disease: The Countdown to Zero

Guinea worm disease is on track to be the second disease eradicated from the world, but there is still work left to be done.

Health workers explain how to use water filters. uncultured. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Guinea worm disease, also known as dracunculiasis, is an infection caused by the parasite Dracunculus medinensis. Larvae of the parasite are found in water sources in sub-Saharan Africa, and they can contaminate drinking water. Once consumed, the parasite stays inside the infected individual for up to a year as it grows into a worm until it removes itself from the human host, leaving through the skin. 

When the worm emerges from the human, it causes a painful skin blister, possibly resulting in a fever or secondary infection. There have been cases of people becoming crippled by a Guinea worm infection. The worm needs to be pulled out from the human body, several centimeters per day, by winding it around some gauze or a small stick. 

Health worker treating an infant with Guinea worm disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CC0 1.0.

In 1986, the Carter Center, the foundation of former president Jimmy Carter, began to lead the global campaign to eradicate Guinea worm disease. When the campaign started, there were 3.5 million cases of the disease in that one year. In 2021, there were only 15 reported human cases worldwide. This dramatic reduction of cases was the result of several carefully planned interventions.

The program to eradicate Guinea worm disease is community-based and relies on extensive villager volunteers. This approach respects the dignity of the people affected and builds trust between the community members and health professionals. The Carter Center aims to work with ministries of health to provide comprehensive health education and maintain political will.

Surveillance and supervision is instrumental in containing the spread of the disease. In the Gambella region of Ethiopia, village volunteers try to ascertain possible cases among their peers every week. When a suspected case is found, an investigation occurs. A lab test is needed to confirm a case of Guinea worm disease. The infected person’s demographics and symptoms are also tracked, as is information about the water sources that the person used. There are also community meetings to inform them of those infected. This is why gaining the trust of communities is so important. Community participation, especially in light of the stigma associated with the disease, is vital in containing the disease, and it all depends on trust.

As Guinea worm disease is waterborne and is contracted by drinking water contaminated with the larvae, interventions that involve treating water before it is drunk is essential. The Carter Center has distributed pipe filters to affected populations and taught them how to use them to prevent the new cases of the disease. In some places, the pesticide abate is applied to water sources to kill the larvae that cause Guinea worm disease. These interventions have drastically reduced the prevalence of Guinea worm disease, but the fight is not over yet.

While great progress has been made in eliminating Guinea worm disease in much of the world, some challenges have arisen. Civil unrest and political instability in some places where Guinea worm disease is prevalent have prevented efforts to combat the disease. Ethiopia, which had some of the highest rates of the disease, is mired in a civil war, making it hard to reach everyone affected by Guinea worm disease. Recently, cases of Guinea worm disease have also started to appear in animals. Today, most cases of Guinea worm disease occur in other animals, not humans. Complete eradication of Guinea worm disease cannot be completed until the world is free of the disease in both humans and animals.

To Get Involved

While the Carter Center is the leader in the drive to eradicate Guinea worm disease, there are also other partners and stakeholders in the campaign who can be supported through donations and volunteering. Among them include the ministries of health of affected countries, UNICEF, WHO, Ethiopian Public Health Institute and the UNHCR.

Bryan Fok

Bryan is currently a History and Global Affairs major at the University of Notre Dame. He aims to apply the notion of Integral Human Development as a framework for analyzing global issues. He enjoys hiking and visiting national parks.

Why Creating Rock Cairns is Dangerous and Wildly Illegal

Amplified by the social media trend of making and photographing these little towers, the prevalence of man-made rock cairns has reached an all-time high. But the illegal practice poses serious dangers to the surrounding environment.

A rock cairn. CanyonlandsNPS. CC PDM 1.0.

Trending on social media platforms like Instagram, “rock stacking” has become the latest nature fad. Seen as a challenge, those making their way through nature—whether it be at a park, a beach, a pond or elsewhere—have created a habit of creating these cairns or adding to pre-existing ones. People have even linked this habit to spirituality and luck, saying the higher the stack grows, the more luck a person has if they have added to the pile and that the practice grants them inner balance. But what might seem like a harmless human hobby is anything but that. With a plethora of environmental impacts, the ever-increasing number of rock cairns in our natural environment threatens the structure of multiple ecosystems, while also posing threats to the very humans who created them.

After the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States, outdoor activities that accommodated for safe social distancing became a popular way to get out of the house. The Guardian reports that the National Parks Conservation Association noted a 20% increase in visitation at all national parks locations. With this uptake in visitation came the human impact on the land. Being uneducated in policies such as Leave No Trace (a principle that emphasizes the importance of humans to make as minimal an impact on nature as possible) and a severe lack of outdoor etiquette was instrumental in the rise in rock cairns. 

Grand Canyon National Park visitors. Grand Canyon NPS. CC BY 2.0.

The environmental effects of rock cairns are the most threatening of the practice. Cairns made by water sources are among the worst, due to their impact on the surrounding food chain and ecosystems. Rocks disturbed by the side of a river, the edge of a pond, or even a lake, have devastating consequences on the animals that live there. Taking rocks from those areas, people dishevel the homes of macroinvertebrates, which are at the very basis of practically all freshwater food chains in the world. These little creatures provide a list of very important services, including keeping the water they inhabit clean by scavenging dead fish, plants and harmful bacteria, making them nutritious sources of food for animals in the area. 

Without macroinvertebrates, our freshwater systems would not be able to self regulate, and the food chain—and ecosystems involved—would essentially crumble. By taking rocks from freshwater areas, people are stealing homes from these crucial creatures and inherently ruining entire ecosystems just to stack a few rocks. Additionally, other freshwater creatures feel the direct loss of habitat that the macroinvertebrates experience. Crayfish, algae, insect larvae and snails all lose homes to these cairns, all endangering these animals. Finally, the same threats that freshwater ecosystems face due to rock stacking can be seen in land environments. Reptiles, bugs and small mammals lose their natural habitats and plants are uprooted and disturbed.

Rock stack by a river. Angela7dreams. CC BY-NC 2.0.

In addition, rock cairns also pose threats to humans. Known to cause soil erosion, if rocks are being taken from the wrong places, large chunks of earth can become loose, leading to rock and mudslides. Further, large cairns, commonly found on mountain peaks and summits, have been known to fall over hillsides and hit hikers below. 

The dangers of these cairns have made them illegal to make, unless done professionally by a park ranger. The penalties for making these cairns are equivalent to those for vandalism. Dubbed “rock graffiti,'' cairns are considered malicious mischief and warrant hefty fines that vary depending on location, and in some instances, rock stacking is punishable by jail time. Sometimes, when there is no other way to mark a trail path, rangers will make these cairns, having been trained to do so without disturbing the environment. However, those who make them for fun have been said to lead people the wrong way on hikes or walks. Because of the uptake in rescues, and all the other factors listed above, this practice of stacking rocks has been prohibited in national parks.

To Get Involved

If you ever come across a rock cairn, the National Parks Service (NPS) advises you to leave them be. The NPS asks that people do not disturb pre-existing cairns, do not add to them and especially refrain from building them. To read more about rock cairns from the NPS, click here.

Ava Mamary

Ava is an undergraduate student at the University of Illinois, double majoring in English and Communications. At school, she Web Writes about music for a student-run radio station. She is also an avid backpacker, which is where her passion for travel and the outdoors comes from. She is very passionate about social justice issues, specifically those involving women’s rights, and is excited to write content about social action across the globe. 

Donating Used Clothing May Do More Harm Than Good

Donated clothes rarely end up in the hands of someone who needs them. Instead, they usually end up in landfills or overwhelming already struggling industries.

Landfill in Kenya. Thad K. CC BY-SA 2.0. 

Many Americans assume donating is the best thing they could do with their old, unwanted clothing. However, in reality, more than 80% of donated clothing ends up in landfills. Only clothing in the best condition is accepted into secondhand stores in the U.S., such as Goodwill or Buffalo Exchange. Even then, if the clothing remains in the store without being purchased for weeks at a time, the store itself often disposes of it. The rejected clothing often ends up in landfills or is shipped overseas. 

Americans buy five times as much clothing, on average, than they did 30 years ago. However, the quality of the clothing most people buy has decreased due to fast fashion trend cycles, resulting in an average of only seven wears per piece. The increase in purchasing combined with the decrease in wear time has resulted in an overwhelming influx of clothing donations in the past 30 years. 

In theory, shipping unwanted clothing to countries seems like a good thing; it has the potential to create jobs and provide more affordable clothing. Unfortunately, many countries (mostly in East Africa, where unwanted clothes are most commonly sent to, with the exception of Ghana)  cannot handle the sheer mass of the clothing they are receiving. The U.S. ships up to 700,000 tons of clothing overseas every year, which is simply too much for the textile and clothing industries to disperse. Additionally, secondhand clothing sells for such a small fraction compared to new clothing in East Africa, causing local companies unable to compete with cheap clothing to go out of business. 

Clothing Donation Stop. Laura0509. CC BY-SA 2.0.

Several East African countries (Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda) even signed a ban on the importation of used clothing from the U.S. in 2016. The Trump administration negotiated with the East African Community (EAC) to reverse the ban, which they did, mostly due to international pressure. With that being said, certain countries, such as Kenya, claim to rely on the influx of clothing from the U.S. to keep their textile industry up and running. But while that is the case for Kenya, donated clothing does more harm than good for the majority of East African countries. 

In terms of the environment, secondhand clothing markets in every country in the world are simply unable to keep up with the amount of discarded clothing as the fast fashion industry continues to ramp up production exponentially. Whether the clothing begins its journey in a thrift store in the U.S. or on a plane to Kenya, it is ultimately most likely to end up creating more waste. The myth of clothing donation is part of what propels the fast fashion industry; people think donating their clothes will have an ultimately positive impact, and so they feel justified in continuing to amass more clothing. 

Ultimately, the most effective fix for this problem would be to reduce collective clothing consumption. The less unnecessary clothing that is bought, the less clothing waste will be produced. With that being said, there are other options to reduce your clothing waste. Instead of donating your unwanted clothing, giving it directly to someone that you know wants and will use it ensures that it won’t end up in a landfill, at least in the short-term. Donating your clothing to homeless or women’s shelters is also another option, as they have more need than thrift stores such as Goodwill or Salvation Army. However, even when it comes to donating clothing to shelters, the clothing must be in good enough condition to actually be worn. If it’s not, another option is to keep and repurpose it yourself. Old fabric can be used as stuffing or kept for a future art project. All in all, donating excess clothing can be the last resort, which comes after making an effort to buy less, trade within your own circles and repurpose used materials.

Calliana Leff

Calliana is currently an undergraduate student at Boston University majoring in English and minoring in psychology. She is passionate about sustainability and traveling in an ethical and respectful way. She hopes to continue her writing career and see more of the world after she graduates.

Drought, Agriculture and the Water Crisis in Spain

In Spain, where drought and agricultural contaminants are affecting drinking water, the precious resource has become a rarity. 

The drought’s effects on water in Spain. Oscar F. Hevia. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

After one of the driest winters of the past 20 years, Spain is experiencing record-low levels of water, which has severely impacted the country’s people. Spain collects the majority of its water through reservoirs and basins, which capture groundwater and rain. At this time of year, these reservoirs are typically at 70 percent. However, due to the drought Spain is currently experiencing, such reservoirs and basins are only at about 40 percent capacity—a palpable cause for concern for all Spanish citizens. 

Due to the severe lack of water, Spain has placed regulations on what the limited supply should be used for. Pools remain unfilled as the weather gets hotter, city fountains are shut off, and villagers in towns closer to the interior of the country find it hard to get a sustainable supply of drinkable water. Villagers from interior areas of Spain, like Lastras de Cuéllar, depend heavily on bottled water sold in their town square. But the purchasing of bottled water is not a sustainable solution to the current water crisis. Older members of the community struggle to carry enough back home, and although many places discount their prices, bottled water is not cost effective. As summer approaches, the people of Spain worry about how long their reserves will last them and hope for heavier rainfall in the spring months to come. 

The drought is being credited to climate change, and the ever-rising temperatures felt across the globe are now creating drastic impacts on the ways people will have to start managing their resources. Calls for water-management reform have begun from many scientists in Spain, the main argument being that due to rising temperatures, old ways of managing and transporting drinking water may need to change. Interior towns of the country that heavily depend on rain water to sustain them may have to rethink their system all together.

Park fountain without water.  Ell Brown. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

On top of the drought, agricultural contaminants have threatened what little water resources Spain has left. Spain is a global leader in pork production, a process that actively affects groundwater resources commonly collected in the basins used to hold drinking water. Pig manure is loaded with toxins that make drinking this groundwater very dangerous. Wired Magazine explains that “pig feed is high in a chemical called phytate, which swine excrete as phosphorus.” When farmers use pig manure to fertilize their land, “phosphorus can become concentrated in the soil and leach to groundwater.” This concentrated phosphorus in groundwater can make humans extremely sick, another reason why clean water has become so rare in Spain.

Besides phosphorus, pig manure also secretes nitrates, something also commonly found in fertilizers used in the agricultural production of crops. Therefore, on top of the dangerous toxins found in pig manure, the nitrates in fertilizer are also seeping into groundwater and impacting the purity of Spain’s limited drinking water. The Local, an online magazine dedicated to covering news in European countries, states that “22 percent of Spain’s overall surface area…is exposed to nitrate pollution,” a startling statistic, considering Spain’s clean water crisis. 

The implications of the drought—combined with the continuation of agricultural contaminants that are consistently finding their way into Spain’s drinking water—are extremely severe. If Spain doesn’t experience a spring with heavy rainfall, this issue may turn into a crisis. Spain has been for many years a water-insecure region, but as the effects of climate change excellerate and agricultural production continues to pollute the land, the issue only becomes more dire. For now, Spaniards can only hope for rain to counter the drought, and for water-management reform to make their drinking water safer. With those hopes in mind, they wait to see what the impending summer heat will mean for their depleted clean water supply.

To Get Involved:

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an organization designed to assist economic and trade progress on a global scale. Learn about the OECD’s assessment of how water resources in Spain are allocated and how the OECD recommends to improve such allocations as conditions in Spain change here.

Circle of Blue is a non-profit organization dedicated to discussing critical research and the challenges involved with global water insecurity. Uniting journalism and data literacy, Circle of Blue serves to educate readers on global issues linked to water and provide research on ways others can get involved to fight global water insecurity. Learn more on how to eliminate global water insecurity here.  

Ava Mamary

Ava is an undergraduate student at the University of Illinois, double majoring in English and Communications. At school, she Web Writes about music for a student-run radio station. She is also an avid backpacker, which is where her passion for travel and the outdoors comes from. She is very passionate about social justice issues, specifically those involving women’s rights, and is excited to write content about social action across the globe.

Mass Killings of the Gray Wolf near Yellowstone

With the 150th anniversary of Yellowstone, attention is drawn to the mass killings of the gray wolf. The park’s bordering states have no laws to protect this species, as the wolves reach a record low number. 

Gray wolf traveling. Yellowstone National Park. CC BY-SA 2.0.

March 1 marked the 150 years of Yellowstone National Park’s existence. However, a sad reality emerges regarding the hunting and killing of wolves. Although this event should be a time of commemoration for the park, an impending issue may finally be getting the necessary public attention. 

While hunting is illegal within Yellowstone, the boundaries of the park line states like Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, which offer no protection to what crosses into their private territory. As a result, the highest number of gray wolf killings has occurred within a century this season alone, which is less than halfway over. 

There are several reasons why this attack on the gray wolf has been escalating. In 2020, the Trump Administration abolished protection of the gray wolf species, meaning that they no longer receive protection as an endangered species. Two years later, though, the federal court worked to reinstate protection for the wolves. Although this preservation was successful in some states, those bordering Yellowstone were excused from this active protection. As a result, hunters in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming have brought the total population down to just 90 wolves. 

Although there are strict hunting rules within Yellowstone, they now hold little value due to the ways in which these bordering states support the war on wolves. These mass killings are not only exponentially growing for the first time in a century, but pose extreme risks for the balance of the ecosystem. The gray wolf plays a key role in the ecosystem, which further affects the physical environment the park is surrounded with, as well as the stability of other organisms. 

For example, the diminishing number of wolves negatively impacts the ecosystem as the species feeds on deer and elk populations, keeping them at a healthy population. When wolves eat deer or elk, they also leave their carcasses scattered which provides nutrients for other members of the system. Aside from the gray wolf affecting other species, they have large impacts on trees, plants and the physical environment at large. With the absence of the gray wolf working as predators, an abundance of elk would feed on different types of trees, which further translates into the stagnation of the species. 

The issue is growing rapidly, as the entire Phantom Lake Pack has been slaughtered due to the lack of protection. New laws in Idaho encourage these killings; the governor of Montana is an active hunter himself who recently trapped and killed a wolf without following protocol. As these states fail to protect the important wildlife that walks into their territory, it is increasingly concerning why there is little to no federal concern on this issue. 

Those who demand change are former members of the Fish and Wildlife Commission, who have seemingly followed the journey of the gray wolf, watching them go from full protection to total vulnerability. Although gray wolf deaths reach dangerous numbers, the problem is seemingly insular to the park itself, only being made known to the outside when action is demanded. When there is no personal connection between the park and the outside influences that have ability to make a change, protection is only considered when irreversible ecological damage to the park is noticed. Whether the federal government and commission chooses to protect the gray wolves or not is ultimately determined by their care for the environment, economics and the ecological community.  

GET INVOLVED

Citizens can put active pressure on the federal government and commission to keep the Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves in 48 states throughout the Biden Administration. This pressure would also help the wolves have protection under federal law, rather than leaving responsibility to the surrounding states. 

Here, you can sign a petition to Secretary Haaland to promote this protection of wolves.

Talia Rueda

Talia is an English major and Marketing minor at Providence College. She works as a Staff Writer and Social Media Coordinator for their student-led newspaper, The Cowl. She is a lover of all things entertainment media and is happy to now grow her experience in writing about social action and travel. In the future, she hopes to work for a major entertainment magazine to continue the conversation about growing trends and popular culture.

How to Vet a Charitable Organization

Sometimes it can be difficult to find a charity that is as ethical as they claim to be. This article will help you find and assess organizations worthy of your donation. 

Tree growing from coins. Michelle Chow, ejinsight. December 16, 2020

In an era of a social justice revolution, it can be daunting to find organizations to support. Sure, you see their ads on social media, but how do you know if they spend their money ethically? What if you’re paying for their CEO’s third home or even unknowingly supporting an extremist organization? Luckily, sites like charitynavigator.org and charitywatch.org have streamlined the process of vetting charitable organizations so you can ensure your money is going to a cause you care about. 


In this article, I will be focusing on three aspects to help you research nonprofits: 

Administrative costs: How much does an organization spend on the causes they are involved with vs. how much they spend on overhead?

Impact: How much does the organization actually do, and how well does it work?

Financial Transparency: How much does the organization disclose about their income and tax bracket?

Administrative Costs

It takes a lot of money to run a non-profit organization. They have to take into account their employee salaries and office rental costs, which dictates how much the charity gives to the causes they support. Some unethical organizations use=donation money to supplement their CEO’s paycheck. The site Charity Navigator utilizes colorful graphs to help potential donors evaluate how much money the organization spends on their cause compared to their 

Pie chart dividing NWLC expenses. Clayton Young. Courtesy of CharityNavigator.org

overhead, or operational costs. Charity Navigator uses three sections of an organization’s expense report to get their Program Expense Ratio: program (how much they donate to the cause they support), administrative costs, and fundraising. 

A good example of an organization spending most of its income on the program is the National Women’s Law Center, which spends 85% of its income on the programs it supports internationally. They spend roughly 15% on administrative costs and fundraising combined. It’s important to note that all nonprofits are different and cannot be held to the same bar. While it is best to take into account their Program Expense Ratio, some organizations simply do not raise enough money to spend it all on their charitable programs. 

Impact

Impact statement. Courtesy of ProPublica.org. Clayton Young.

How do you know if a nonprofit is actually doing something with your donation money? It can be difficult to quantify the effectiveness of an organization, but independent research can help you make an informed decision about your donation. Charity Navigator’s video details some of the steps you can take to make sure your donation is being used well. One tip they suggest is to call the organization to directly ask them about their impact. However, this poses a problem: the organization might give biased information since they would want to look good at first glance. It helps to have something tangible the organization has done with your donation. 

ProPublica is an independent news organization founded in 2008 that exposes abuses of power against the public from government and institutions through nonbias journalism. Their Investor Impact Report, details all their work for the past year. Additionally, they link follow-up stories to their original articles that sparked the active change to fix injustices. In 2021, the administrator to the Environmental Protection Agency used ProPublica’s article on how the EPA allows some communities to breathe toxic air and announced a new Pollution Accountability Team in response to ProPublica’s article. 

Financial Transparency

Our final aspect of vetting a charitable organization relies on a group’s ability to maintain a clear view of its finances. Obviously, it’s a very important job to tell your donors where their money is going. Charity Watch defines what classifies as a charity and how that tax status could influence the money spent on the intended program. Generally, 501(c) 3 organizations are what most are classified as, meaning they receive tax-exempt contributions from donors, as long as they do not try to influence legislation or endorse presidential candidates, according to the IRS’s classification and rules of charitable organizations with that status. 

An example organization that fits the 501(c)3 status while also providing transparency to its financial records and expenditures is Amazon Watch. While it may sound like an Amazon.com watchdog organization, the charity is actually focused on legislating and providing humanitarian relief on behalf of the Indigenous communities in the Amazon rainforest. They spend 85.6% of their revenue on the Amazon program, the rest going to administration and fundraising, but their tax records are publically available for anyone to see, dating back to 2016. 

The sites utilized in this article were Charity Navigator and Charity Watch, but they’re only two of a litany of other similar sites. The nonprofits listed are not the only worthy charitable organizations in the world; rather, these are just a jumping point for you to do your own research and give to causes you are passionate about.

Clayton Young

Clayton is an aspiring photojournalist with a Bachelor's in Liberal Studies with a minor in History from Indiana University - Bloomington. In his free time, he enjoys hikes, movies, and catching up on the news. He has written extensively on many topics including Japanese incarceration in America during World War II, the history of violence, and anarchist theory.

How to Debate the Climate Change Skeptics in Your Life

With many climate skeptics, it’s important to know how to respond to the claims from those who don’t believe in human-induced climate.

Climate change protest in Nuremberg. Markus Spiske. Unsplash.

Climate change refers to the current unprecedented warming of the climate that the Earth is experiencing. There are many skeptics who don’t believe the planet’s warming is of concern or that humanity is the main driver. These skeptics have a few main points they like to bring up. Here’s how to hit back.

“The Earth’s climate has always been changing, so there’s no reason we need to be worried now.”

Though the first part of this claim is correct (Earth’s climate has always been in flux), this is most certainly not a reason to be unconcerned about the current warming our planet is experiencing. Though the climate has changed a lot throughout Earth’s history, the planet hasn’t experienced such rapid warming in at least the last 2,000 years as it is currently. To respond to this type of statement, the key is referencing the unprecedented rate of warming as the reason modern climate change is a huge problem that needs to be addressed immediately. For specific credible evidence, one can draw from the reports made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which is a body of the United Nations that conducts and disseminates scientific studies on modern climate change. In the Summary for Policymakers of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report, it was reported that humans have caused the Earth to warm by an estimated 1.07 C since the Industrial Revolution. Comparing this temperature anomaly to ones before the mid 1800s shows us “human influence has warmed the climate at a rate that is unprecedented.”

“The Earth has been much warmer in the past than it is today, so we don’t need to be worried that it’s getting warmer.”

Again, the first part of this claim is true; we are actually currently in what is called an icehouse period, meaning we are experiencing a colder phase relative to Earth’s entire history. Though our current climate isn’t abnormally warm compared to all of Earth’s history, it is not only warming unusually fast, but it also poses dangers to humans, animals and many ecosystems, which are adapted to Earth’s current climate—not a warmer one. In response to these statements, it’s important to remind those in the conversation that we aren’t physically or fiscally able to adapt ourselves, our ecosystems and our industries to a warmer climate fast enough because of the unprecedented speed at which the climate is changing. 

“The sun is the source of the Earth’s heat, so any change in the Earth’s temperature must be due to changes in solar radiation, not human activities.”

This type of statement is generally made by those who admit the Earth is warming quickly but don’t believe humans are the cause. The Earth is heated by the sun through solar radiation. However, if the sun was the only factor in warming our planet, the Earth would be too cold for us to survive on it. To respond to this kind of claim, you should remind whomever that our atmosphere is largely responsible for the warmness of our planet because the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap heat. A skeptic may then ask how we know humans have caused greenhouse gases to increase. Human-caused warming can be illustrated through graphs of the global average surface temperature, which show a continued increase in temperature since the Industrial Revolution (when humans began to emit large amounts of greenhouse gases by burning fossil fuels for energy). Countering this claim can be done by looking at any graph of global average temperature in the last century, as these graphs show the increase in the Earth’s temperature has very closely followed the increase in the human activities of fossil fuel burning, deforestation, and other greenhouse gas emitting actions. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to note the IPCC has reported “it is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land.” 

Whether writing about modern climate change or having a casual discussion about it amongst friends, it’s important to not only be aware of the fact that our climate is getting warmer at an unprecedented rate, but also to understand why the large majority of the scientific community is certain humans are the main reason why. Knowing this information can help you discuss and explain global warming and the importance of taking immediate action.

Jordan Hunt

Jordan Hunt is an undergraduate student at UC San Diego. She is majoring in Communication and is on track to earn her BA degree in the Spring of 2023. With an ever-growing passion for filmmaking and a strong desire to effect change in environmental policymaking, she loves to share her ideas and knowledge with others through writing.

The Swimming Savior: Journey From Refugee to Olympian 

Syrian Yusra Mardini escaped civil war and became the face of Olympic refugees.

Yusra Mardini. l3o_. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Yusra Mardini began swimming at the budding age of 3 in her birth country, Syria. As she grew older, she continued to pursue her swimming career with the Syrian Olympic Committee, hoping to one day fulfill her dream of competing for her country in the Olympics. Outside of the pool, however, a pressing issue loomed over Mardini’s promising athletic career: a civil war in Syria jeopardizing everything she had worked for.  

A peaceful Syrian protest in 2011 initiated an intense civil war. As it progressed, Mardini lost focus during swim practices due to the bomb threats and active bombings during her training. The danger eventually led the Mardini family to leave Syria in August of 2015, shortly after their family home was destroyed. The Mardinis embarked on a 25-day journey to Germany, crossing the Aegean Sea and seven countries along the way. 

During that time, Mardini’s swimming career and life as a refugee merged in one defining moment. While crossing the Aegean Sea on the way to Greece, the boat the Mardinis were on stopped working. In the midst of the chaos, Yusra and her sister, Sara, boldly jumped out of the boat and began to push the vessel to shore. The Mardinis successfully delivered the boat to shore, saving the 18 other passengers on board. Yusra was just 17 years old. 

Mardini began training again in Germany, the country her family settled in. This time, she swam with a greater purpose: making a name for herself at the Olympics and bringing awareness to refugees at the same time. Her hard work paid off, as Mardini was selected to compete with the 2016 Refugee Olympic Team. This team was the first of its kind, allowing refugee athletes to compete together rather than for a specific country. Representing a cause she was passionate about, Mardini traveled to Brazil to swim in the 2016 Rio Olympics and share her story with the world. She competed in the 100-meter butterfly event, as well as the 100-meter freestyle. 

After her story received positive press at the Olympics, Mardini began using her voice to represent refugees both in and out of the pool. In April of 2017, the UN Refugee Agency dubbed Mardini a Goodwill Ambassador, making her the youngest UNHCR ambassador at the age of 19. Since then, she has used her life story to represent refugees on a global scale. Mardini shares her triumphant tale at conferences, schools and through her social media, allowing people to understand the trials that come with civil war, displacement and personal growth. Mardini also attended the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she was given the honor of being the flag bearer for the Refugee Olympic Team. She continues to train in Berlin, Germany, where she is making a name for not only herself, but refugees everywhere who are looking for a new beginning, just as Mardini once was.

Ellie Sabby

Ellie is a senior at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, studying English literature. She is the Chief Online Editor and Chief Art Editor for undergraduate literary and art magazine, The Tower. In her free time, she enjoys writing poetry, reading anything by Shakespeare, and fulfilling her passion for traveling through a variety of spontaneous trips.

Entertainment or Exploitation? Dive Into Sea Mammals in Captivity 

Marine mammals living in captivity may appear happy and healthy, but the harsh reality is the aquatic entertainment industry exploits the animals for profit. Here’s why they deserve to roam free.  

Orca show at SeaWorld. roger4336. CC BY-SA 2.0

The definition of a cetacean is a marine mammal, but they are better known as dolphins, porpoises and whales. While not everyone has viewed these creatures in their natural habitats, there is a good chance they have been seen closer to home at a local zoo or aquatic institution. However, these businesses are in possession of cetaceans for entertainment purposes, not the well-being of the actual animals. 

As breathtaking as it may be to see an orca, whale, or dolphin right in front of your face, these creatures have complex ways of thinking and living that cannot be maintained in a glass tank. Cetaceans are social animals, similar to humans, who thrive off interacting with other aquatic mammals. They are also extremely intelligent and need space to explore new concepts and create families. If kept in captivity and separated from their offspring, cetaceans suffer similarly to what a human may experience if they are depressed or anxious: physical ailments, raised stress levels, aggressive temperaments and even premature death. As a result, this changes the demeanor of the animals, and several trainers have been injured or killed over the years. Organizations using cetaceans for entertainment purposes overlook the basic needs of these animals and forgo moral and ethical standards for the benefit of their business. 

SeaWorld is famous for its orca shows, dazzling spectators with what seem to be displays of happy creatures performing tricks willingly but are truly a collection of unhappy animals working for food in unsuitable tanks. Years of cetacean exploitation in this organization—and ones similar to it—were masked as research. SeaWorld claimed to save marine animals who had been injured in the wild by bringing them to their facility and rehabilitating them in a controlled environment. Upon further investigation, these claims were false, as some animals had been forcefully taken from their homes rather than rescued. Companies battled with lawmakers for years over the proposal of a law that would benefit the animals more than the humans in charge of them. The Orca Protection and Safety Act was passed in 2016, banning the breeding, capturing and performing of orcas in California. SeaWorld’s long reign amongst aquatic entertainment organizations crumbled. 

While several states have adopted laws banning the breeding of orcas since then, there are still 59 whales in captivity across the globe and numerous other dolphins and beluga whales in the same situation. In recent years, China and Russia have become popular locations for orca breeding and performing. 

Orcas in the wild. DrTH80. CC BY 2.0

One organization in Canada is now working to rectify the unethical treatment of these animals by creating a space for them to retire and return to the life a cetacean would normally live. The Whale Sanctuary Project is dedicating their time to supporting cetaceans bred and raised in captivity who may be retired, but have no home or family to return to. The Whale Sanctuary Project creates authentic sanctuaries for these animals, large bodies of water with adequate depth where whales, dolphins and porpoises can roam free and interact with other creatures in the same situation. Their work is the first of its kind in North America and will continue to improve the lives of cetaceans in need for years to come. 

GET INVOLVED

Orca Network is a non-profit organization working to spread awareness about orca whales and other aquatic mammals living in captivity. To learn more about orcas, the effects living in captivity has on marine mammals and ways you can directly support these animals, visit Orca Network’s website and consider attending one of their virtual informational events.

Ellie Sabby

Ellie is a senior at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, studying English literature. She is the Chief Online Editor and Chief Art Editor for undergraduate literary and art magazine, The Tower. In her free time, she enjoys writing poetry, reading anything by Shakespeare, and fulfilling her passion for traveling through a variety of spontaneous trips.

11 Ways to Help Ukraine

Help support the Ukrainian people as their country is invaded.

The ongoing war in Ukraine has caused hundreds of civilian deaths, with more than 2 million refugees having already fled the country. It is crucial in these trying times that Ukrainians know they have support. Here are some ways to help. 

Meduza

“Within a few days, maybe even today, it is possible that there will be no independent media left in Russia,” read a post on Meduza’s website. Meduza is an independent media source at extreme risk of losing its platform to inform the public. Russian President Vladimir Putin is working to have complete control over censorship in Russia and Ukraine, meaning citizens of these countries will no longer have access to any information besides what Russia’s government allows. Meduza has already been blocked in Russia, and now it is fighting to stay alive through the support of allies outside of these countries. The organization is looking for financial support and social media awareness.

For more information and to donate, visit Meduza’s website. 

Reporters Without Borders

Reporters Without Borders is a worldwide independent media organization that works to keep freedom of the press and information to citizens of the world. According to their site, on March 4, Russia adopted a new law making the “publication of ‘false’ or ‘mendacious’ information about the Russian armed forces punishable by up to 15 years in prison.” This threatens every single independent media outlet in Russia and Ukraine. Support Reporters Without Borders through sponsorship, donations, volunteering and more listed on the website. 

For more information and to support, visit Reporters Without Borders’ website. 

The Kyiv Independent

The Kyiv Independent was launched three months ago by journalists who had been fired in Ukraine for defending editorial independence. Now, they are playing a vital role in keeping the freedom of the press alive in Russia and Ukraine. On their website, they have options to “become a patron” and donate to the organization’s GoFundMe.

For more information and to support, visit The Kyiv Independent’s website.  

Doctors Without Borders

Working in conflict zones, Doctors Without Borders focuses on helping citizens in need after natural disasters, wars, epidemics and more. Responding to the Ukraine crisis, the organization sent 1,400 cubic feet of medical supply shipments on March 6, along with members of the organization. There are multiple ways to get involved with Doctors Without Borders from working in offices to working in the field, and if a career path isn’t something you’re considering, donating is another great way to show support. 

For more information and to support, visit Doctors Without Borders’ website. 

International Medical Corps

A global first responder organization, International Medical Corps provides emergency medical assistance to people in need in any circumstances. A hub in Poland has been created, so members of the organization can assist members of Ukraine and surrounding countries with physical and mental health situations. International Medical Corps is looking for donations to continue its efforts in Poland. 

For more information and to support, visit International Medical Corps’ website. 

Contact Government Representatives 

Don’t have the money to donate? Another way to get involved if you are in the United States or Europe is by contacting government representatives in efforts to accept as many Ukrainian refugees as possible. Boundless offers great tips for formatting emails, finding your elected officials and learning information about what your contribution will do for citizens in need. 

To find your representative, visit the U.S. House of Representatives’ website. 

Global Giving

Global Giving is a nonprofit that connects other nonprofits with donors and companies. Helping to properly equip humanitarian projects in distressed communities and donating to the Ukraine Crisis Fund creates a direct impact on citizens in need. With a goal of $10,000,000, Global Giving has promised that all funds raised will go to providing shelter, food, clean water, health support, psychosocial support and more. 

For more information and to support, visit Global Giving’s website.

The World Food Programme 

As the world's largest humanitarian organization, The World Food Programme works to provide meals to all people in emergency situations. Working directly with citizens in Ukraine who have been forced from their homes and into hunger, donating to The World Food Programme will provide families with meal packages and more.

For more information and to support, visit The World Food Programme’s website.

UNICEF

UNICEF is running an emergency response for Eastern Ukraine, leading health, social policy, child protection and many more programs to aid families affected by the conflict. UNICEF is looking for volunteers, donors, social media support and reporters to help with the efforts in Ukraine. 

For more information and to support, visit UNICEF’s website. 

United Help Ukraine

An organization started directly in response to the attack on Ukraine, United Help is focusing on wounded warriors, humanitarian aid, medical supplies and raising awareness. Donating to United Help Ukraine will directly help Ukrainian citizens, soldiers and frontline volunteers. 

For more information and to support, visit United Help Ukraine’s website.

Airbnb

Offering free short-term housing for over 100,000 Ukrainian refugees, Airbnb is relying on the help of citizens across the world. Airbnb is looking for donations and possible hosts to house refugees. Nonprofits are working with Airbnb during this time to book homes for eligible citizens. 

For more information and to support, visit Airbnb’s Help Ukraine website. 

Knowing what organizations have the best intentions and support for people in need can be difficult. The American Endowment Foundation provides a great resource for choosing the right organizations where your support will make the biggest difference.

Haleigh Kierman

Haleigh is a student at The University of Massachusetts, Amherst. A double Journalism and Communications major with a minor in Anthropology, she is initially from Guam, but lived in a small, rural town outside of Boston most of her life. Travel and social action journalism are her two passions and she is appreciative to live in a time where writers voices are more important than ever.