January 16, 2023
Audrey Wang and Sydney Chang on their work with Interverse Education
In addition to their work at Project 17, executives Audrey Wang (Academic Director) and Sydney Chang (Operations Director) have also engaged in cross-cultural communication through Interverse Education, a 501(c)(3) NPO dedicated to breaking language barriers and connecting people around the world by teaching English as a second language (ESL).
If you’re interested in having your work featured on our blog, please reach out to us at contact@projectseventeen.org!
Goal 10 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs Goal 10 of the UN SDGs aims to “reduce inequality within and among countries”. COVID-19 has triggered an unexpected rise in global inequality since the last generation, breaking the previous trend of gradually decreasing inequality. Statistics show that during the period of 2017-2021, inequality was expected to drop 2.6% based on expert projections and statistical models. However, COVID-19 raised this figure from -2.6% to +1.2%. In 2021, 1 in 5 people were reported to have experienced discrimination worldwide. The war in Ukraine worsened the matter, making global refugee numbers skyrocket, the number of refugees outside their country or region increasing by 44% between 2015 and 2021. The urgency of the situation and the severity of this issue demands immediate attention and action.
Global income inequality and the COVID-19 pandemic in three charts COVID-19 has exacerbated global income inequality– significantly reversing progress made in the past two decades. Disparities in countries’ abilities to cope with market losses are expected to raise rates of between-country inequality. Domestic income inequality is also estimated to have increased because of job losses among lower-income populations. Also, rising inflation and pandemic related disruptions in education may have long term impacts and increase income inequality in the long term. The global community must take action to reverse losses in progress and work towards a more equitable society on the national and global level.
Nine strategies to reduce inequality - A-id The United Nations has designated October 17th as the day for the eradication of poverty in all forms. Inequality directly affects poverty as it creates a wealthy disparity based on biased institutions. Using geographic targeting will reduce this income inequality, and close gaps by providing more accessible resources for those in poverty-stricken areas. In addition, elevating the voices of the poor will promote this cause as their perspectives are currently rarely considered in policy making. Discrimination often limits opportunities given to lower-income groups. Advocacy actions and campaigns can be used to identify the discrimination and allow more inclusive decision making with marginalized groups. Extreme poverty is also caused by systemic inequality with chronic poverty. Different policies must be allocated to each aspect of the problem in order to establish more effective approaches. For instance, there is significantly more poverty seen within indigenous groups and unfair wages given to women. By bringing light to these inequalities, policy makers will know to address them.
Further Reading
Want to learn more? Join us for a discussion to collaborate with students across the world, engage in new perspectives on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and connect with UNA-USA officials and members throughout the country.