Break the silence and stop the approaching famine in Tigray

Photo: Rod Waddington, Flickr

Of: Pierre Frühling

Some silences can lead to disaster. The situation in Tigray in northern Ethiopia today is a dramatic example. The war in Tigray continues, the famine has probably already begun and may soon become extremely widespread. The Ethiopian government is blocking free access for humanitarian operations, and denying permits to independent journalists as well as to investigations into abuses and massacres. But to the outside world, the people in Tigray do not seem to exist.

March 4, 2021, Debate

Become aware of what affects the ecological footprint the most

Of: Elin Petersson

Living without a car, avoiding air travel, switching to a plant-based diet and having fewer children are some changes that have major environmental benefits and should therefore be prioritized. Despite this, many consumers associate environmental friendliness with less effective changes such as choosing locally produced products, organic food or introducing a vegetarian day a week. If the public lacks the ability to distinguish effective changes from ineffective ones, the chances are low that Sweden will achieve consumption-related environmental goals, says Elin Petersson, a student at Linnaeus University.

February 26, 2021, Debate

Reduce the development assistance budget and follow up on taxpayers' money

Of: Andreas Celan

Several cases of failed aid projects show that Sida cannot ensure that the aid money goes where it is supposed to. For this reason, the development assistance budget should be reduced and a larger part of the development assistance money will go to making the necessary investments in Sweden, says Andreas Celan, the Moderate Youth Association in Uppsala.

February 26, 2021, Debate

More difficult but not impossible - covid-19 and the global goals

Of: Alan Atkisson

Covid-19 has turned difficult progress into setbacks. The latest figures from the World Bank give a gloomy picture in areas such as global poverty, hunger, health and education. But in the midst of a pandemic, we are also experiencing a dramatic acceleration of digitalisation, greater opportunities for equal inclusion and the development of new investment instruments to lift people out of poverty. We must look at the big picture, think long-term and continue to look for more effective levers for change, says Alan AtKisson, department manager at Sida.

February 15, 2021, Debate

Increased support for food production is vital

Jamia Salimo: It's expensive to be poor. People in poor countries are forced to spend most of their income on food, and yet it is not enough. Farmer Jamia Salimo in Mozambique has just bought soap, salt and cooking oil. Photo: Edson Artur.

Of: Anna Tibblin and Eva Åberg

More people are at risk of starvation than of Covid-19 globally. The world is facing the worst hunger crisis in 50 years - at the same time, only 2,6 percent of Swedish aid goes to agriculture in poor countries. In order to avoid a hunger pandemic, and in general to succeed in achieving the UN's sustainability goal of eradicating world hunger, we must increase our agricultural aid and support for sustainable food production.

January 29, 2021, Debate

High time for a new type of global development

Photo: UNDP

Of: Josefin Pasanen

The new year comes with promises of large-scale Covid vaccination and a glimmer of hope that things can soon return to "normal" again. But there are many indications that it is precisely our "normal" way of life that has triggered the pandemic and the global socio-economic crisis that has come in its wake. The latest UN report on human development (HDR 2020) shows that the Covid-19 pandemic risks becoming a warning of what is to come, if humanity does not change course and work to restore balance on the planet.

January 29, 2021, Debate

Sweden's democracy aid makes a difference

About 30 percent of Sida's aid goes to democracy and human rights. Photo: Helena Bjuremalm

Of: Helena Bjuremalm

Both international and Swedish democracy aid is effective, according to a new study from the Expert Group for Aid Analysis (EBA). The report also shows that Sweden's democracy assistance has decreased at country level in recent years. Helena Bjuremalm, Deputy Head of Unit at Sida's Democracy Unit, has analyzed the results.

December 14, 2020, Debate

The pandemic leads to setbacks for the girls of the world

Plan International supported the training of 20 girls from Bohicon and Abomey to help them make 250 protective face masks. When completed, a group of youth activists from Plan International projects helped distribute them to traineeships to stop the spread of COVID-19 in Benin. Photo: Plan Sweden.

Of: Mariann Eriksson and Alexandra Pärnebjörk

For almost a year, the world has been living with the coronavirus. It is now clear that the pandemic, and the efforts being made to stop the spread of infection, are hitting different groups differently. But as in many previous crises and disasters, there is one group that is particularly vulnerable: the teenage girls. Especially when it comes to their sexual and reproductive health and rights.

December 9, 2020, Debate

Will there be any year 2050?

Around 70 percent of all coffee grown in Kenya is made by small-scale producers.

Of: Hewan Temesghen

Coffee is a drink that many of us feel we can not do without. But if we want to continue drinking our favorite drink in the future, we must take joint responsibility and create conditions for a more socially sustainable agriculture in the countries where people try to make a living from growing coffee, writes Hewan Temesghen from Fairtrade.

September 30, 2020, Debate