Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
type: channel
description: Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty (Journal of ASAP) is an open access international multidisciplinary journal published under the ISSN 2690-3458 (electronic edition) and ISSN 2690-3431 (print edition) by Academics Stand Against Poverty, a non-profit organization based in United States (EIN # 32-0324998). Co-Editors: Thomas Pogge, Yale University, New Haven, USA Michal Apollo, University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland Indexed: OpenAIRE Google Scholar We are currently in the process of ensuring that the journal is indexed elsewhere.
publisher: Academics Stand Against Poverty
language: en
publication name: Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
issn: 2690-3431
items: Old Ghost, New Shadows: Resource Curse Dynamics and the Growing Illicit Flows in Africa’s Carbon Market
items: Education in Motion: Exploring the Use of Non-formal Education as a Pathway to Greater Civic Engagement Among African Youth
items: Gender Polarization in Voting: The Role of Negative Campaigning
items: Establishing environmental law clinics to strengthen environmental justice and the rule of law: a case study of the Sundarbans
items: The African Paradox: A Land of Wealth, a People in Need
items: Resolving the Farmer-Herder Crisis in Nigeria’s Central Zone: The Contribution of Trade and Gender Inclusion
items: Green Social Work: A Pathway to Social and Environmental Justice in India
items: Whose Justice? Forest Rights, Civil Society, and the Remaking of Environmental Governance in the Western Himalayas
items: Coastal resilience, (mal)adaptation, and justice in Chennai
items: Digital Shadows in Illicit Financial Flows: Unraveling Nigeria's Cryptocurrency Paradox and Illuminating Pathways to Financial Integrity
items: The illicit Organ Trade: Biographical, Anatomical, Economic and Legal Aspects
items: Qur’anic ecological ontology, poverty, and the climate crisis: Ecological and economic correctives
items: Cybercrimes and the illicit financial flows in Myanmar
items: Logging in: Dismantling the Dark Web of Africa’s Timber Industry
items: Addressing the Causal Factors of Poverty in Muslim Mindanao: Perspectives from Thomas Pogge and Iris Marion Young
items: Multicultural Citizenship: Justice and Recognition of Difference for Indigenous Peoples in Brazil
items: Introduction to Special Issue Toward Food Security in Africa
items: Food or Fuel? The Case for a US Strategic Corn Reserve and Food-Fuel Throttle to Reduce Global Hunger During Food Price Spikes
items: Battling the Illegal Wildlife Trade Through Regulatory Finance: The Southeast Asian Context
items: Taming the Untamable: Rethinking, Regulating, and Revamping Hawala
items: The Influencing of Consumer Aspirations on Food Choice, Sourcing and Consumption Among Low-Income Households of eThekwini Municipality: A Pilot Study
items: Pork Knockers, Powder People, and a “Fully Criminalized State”: The Dynamics of Illicit Financial Flows in the Surinamese Gold Sector
items: Exploring the Viability of Utilizing Agricultural and Rural Areas for Tourism: A Comparative Analysis of Farming Between Conventional and Agritourism Farms during the COVID-19 pandemic
items: Harnessing the Untapped Potential of Youth Agripreneurship in Creating Employment and Food Security in Africa
items: The Synergy of Food Sovereignty and the Politics of Malnutrition in Tanzania: What Works, Why and How?
items: Better Soils for Resilient Agricultural Production
items: Debts, Human Rights, and the Poor: From London 1953 to Present Human Rights Violations
items: COP28: Superstition or Reform
items: The Changing Dynamics of Agricultural Land Use in Kenya: Legal responses to address the threat of food insecurity from land fragmentation
items: The African Union - Rising

Old Ghost, New Shadows: Resource Curse Dynamics and the Growing Illicit Flows in Africa’s Carbon Market
type: item
description: This essay explores the emerging threat of illicit financial flows (IFFs) within Africa’s expanding carbon market, drawing parallels to the historical “resource curse” seen in mining and oil. It illuminates how fraudulent project baselines, inflated offsets, and opaque shell companies allow foreign and domestic actors to exploit the continent's environmental assets for illicit gain. The essay adopts Polanyi’s theory of fictitious commodities and Akerlof’s information asymmetry to explain how market failures and a lack of transparency enable "carbon colonialism" and corruption. Detailed case studies from Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Liberia illustrate the socioeconomic harms caused, including land-grabbing and the displacement of local communities. To combat these systemic vulnerabilities, the author proposes a multi-level policy framework involving international oversight, blockchain-enabled registries, and robust community-led benefit-sharing. Finally, the essay advocates for structural reforms and regional cooperation to ensure Africa’s climate finance contributes to genuine ecological sustainability rather than further financial exploitation.
subject: Submissions
  topic: section
subject: Africa
  topic: keywords
subject: Carbon Market
  topic: keywords
subject: Illicit Flows
  topic: keywords
subject: Resource curse
  topic: keywords
creator: Ololade Mustafa Aremu
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
date: 2026-02-23
publication date: 2026-02-23
starting page: 44
ending page: 63
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.18741844

Education in Motion: Exploring the Use of Non-formal Education as a Pathway to Greater Civic Engagement Among African Youth
type: item
description: Africa’s This article examines how non-formal education (NFE) cultivates civic agency among African youth. Drawing on experiential learning theories and comparative case studies from Africa, it argues that NFE provides a transformative pathway for youth civic participation by integrating leadership, reflection, and practical engagement. Through analysis of programs such as Tostan’s Community Empowerment Program in Senegal and the Solar Mamas initiative in Zanzibar, the paper demonstrates that NFE fosters both collective and individual empowerment, albeit with varying levels of sustainability and institutional linkages. The discussion highlights the need for policy frameworks that integrate NFE into national systems without diluting its participatory essence. It concludes that the transformative potential of NFE lies in its non-linear, context-specific design and its capacity to bridge civic learning with governance participation.
subject: Submissions
  topic: section
subject: Non-Formal Education
  topic: keywords
subject: Governance
  topic: keywords
subject: Youth Participation
  topic: keywords
creator: Grace Gondwe
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
date: 2026-02-23
publication date: 2026-02-23
starting page: 36
ending page: 43
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.18741934

Gender Polarization in Voting: The Role of Negative Campaigning
type: item
description: Across the globe men tend to lean towards right-wing parties while women are more likely to vote left. In addition, there is a well-documented pattern which shows that negative campaigning tends to be more effective among male voters and that right-wing parties are more likely to employ negative campaign tactics. This leads to the question whether gender polarization in voting can be partially explained by men’s greater susceptibility to negative campaigning. To explore this, a large-scale expert survey (NEGex) was merged with a collection of post-election surveys (CSES Module 5) to extract a database of 45,000 respondents, covering 200 parties over 34 national elections. The results confirm the hypothesis that the gender divide is partly due to men being more susceptible to negative campaigning, which right-wing parties commonly use more than their left-wing counterparts.
subject: Submissions
  topic: section
subject: Gender polarization
  topic: keywords
subject: Political campaign adverts
  topic: keywords
subject: Campaign tone
  topic: keywords
creator: Liam James Cappello
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
date: 2026-02-08
publication date: 2026-02-08
starting page: 1
ending page: 19
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.18525383

Establishing environmental law clinics to strengthen environmental justice and the rule of law: a case study of the Sundarbans
type: item
description: Climate change arguably constitutes the foremost global challenge facing the world today. Its impact is multi-faceted and manifests itself through various unpredictable weather phenomena, the brunt of which is borne largely by vulnerable low-lying areas in the Global South. This is exemplified by the ecologically-endangered Sundarbans region, which contains the world’s largest mangrove forest, spread across the Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta on the Indo-Bangladesh border. Its inhabitants have suffered, with increasing frequency, from rising water levels and erratic weather phenomena, which imperil their very existence. These threats are exacerbated by man-made activities such as intensive agriculture and aquaculture, improper waste disposal, accumulation of hazardous materials, illegal construction and pollution stemming from unchecked tourism. The local inhabitants often lack legal recourse and are powerless to prevent such environmental degradation. In this context, this paper seeks to explore the potential that student-led legal aid clinics possess in providing a grassroots solution to this problem. Being incubated in law universities with established professional support networks, these clinics undertake grassroots-level work through active stakeholder consultation. By employing the case-study method, this paper will examine the functioning of an experimental environmental law clinic focused exclusively on the Sundarbans, with practicing lawyers, government officials, academics and students, both from India and abroad, as its participants. It will consequently assess the viability of such a bottom-up socio-legal approach. In doing so, this paper aims to catalyse, through its findings, the establishment of similar environmental law clinics in other ecologically sensitive areas, and to ensure that these clinics bring together lawyers, academics, activists and students in strengthening the cause of environmental justice as a larger goal underpinning the rule of law.
subject: Submissions
  topic: section
subject: Clinical Legal Education
  topic: keywords
subject: Environmental Justice
  topic: keywords
subject: Climate Change
  topic: keywords
subject: Sundarbans
  topic: keywords
creator: M.P. Chengappa
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
date: 2025-12-30
publication date: 2025-12-30
starting page: 57
ending page: 67
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.18485957

The African Paradox: A Land of Wealth, a People in Need
type: item
description: Africa’s vast natural wealth stands in stark contrast to its enduring poverty and economic stagnation – a contradiction rooted in colonial legacies that established extractive institutions and external dependencies. Today, the continent remains heavily reliant on raw material exports, with intra-African trade accounting for just 13.8% of total trade. This over-dependence has stifled diversification and reinforced structural vulnerabilities. This essay examines the historical and systemic factors that have shaped Africa’s economic trajectory, arguing that sustainable transformation requires industrialization, financial inclusion, and regional integration. It introduces three innovative economic models: skill-backed lending to expand financial access through competencies rather than collateral; apprenticeship-for-ownership programs to promote equity and transfer of productive assets; and the One-Continent, One-Supply Chain policy to build an integrated African production network. By investing in bold policy reforms, strategic regional cooperation, and community-driven enterprises, Africa can start a path toward economic autonomy and inclusive, long-term growth.
subject: Submissions
  topic: section
subject: Africa’s economy
  topic: keywords
subject: Industrialization
  topic: keywords
subject: Financial inclusion
  topic: keywords
subject: Intra-African trade
  topic: keywords
subject: Economic independence
  topic: keywords
creator: Evaida Chimedza
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
date: 2026-01-09
publication date: 2026-01-09
starting page: 18
ending page: 35
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.18268133

Resolving the Farmer-Herder Crisis in Nigeria’s Central Zone: The Contribution of Trade and Gender Inclusion
type: item
description: In concert with population growth, crime, and inefficient police action, climate change has driven the farmer-herder crisis in the central zone of Nigeria. The crisis has resulted in deaths, destroyed property and caused food insecurity. This essay studies the farmers and herders, who are the key players in this crisis. It also examines the efforts made to prevent, remediate, or mitigate the effects of these conflicts. These efforts have varied from the African Union to the government to civil society organisations. They have mostly been ineffective due to poor implementation. Trade and gender inclusion are suggested as essential contributory elements in resolving the farmer-herder crisis. While used in other crises, it is underutilized in farmer-herder crisis resolution literature. It is the conclusion of this essay that trade and gender inclusion would strengthen any strategies for containing and preventing the farmer-herder crisis.
subject: Submissions
  topic: section
subject: AfCFTA
  topic: keywords
subject: Climate change
  topic: keywords
subject: Farmer-herder crisis
  topic: keywords
subject: Fulani
  topic: keywords
subject: Gender inclusion
  topic: keywords
subject: Trade
  topic: keywords
creator: Nater Paul Akpen
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
date: 2026-01-04
publication date: 2026-01-04
starting page: 1
ending page: 17
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.18148055

Green Social Work: A Pathway to Social and Environmental Justice in India
type: item
description: India faces severe environmental challenges, including climate change, deforestation, pollution, and resource depletion, which disproportionately impact marginalized communities. Green Social Work (GSW) offers a crucial framework for integrating environmental sustainability with social justice, promoting inter and intra-generational equity and justice. This study explores the role of GSW in India, analysing its potential to address ecological and climate concerns through community organization, social action, and policy advocacy. Using an exploratory and descriptive research design, the article synthesizes existing literature to examine Indian social work practices that incorporate environmental consciousness. It highlights initiatives such as the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) and grassroots interventions that strengthen resilience and sustainability. The findings emphasize the need for an interdisciplinary approach, positioning social workers as key agents in promoting ecological sustainability and sustainable development in India.
subject: Submissions
  topic: section
subject: Climate Refugees
  topic: keywords
subject: Environmental Policies
  topic: keywords
subject: Extreme Events
  topic: keywords
subject: Resilience
  topic: keywords
subject: Social and Environmental Justice
  topic: keywords
subject: Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
  topic: keywords
creator: Indranil Sarkar
creator: Pallavi Mitra
creator: Priya Banerjee
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
date: 2025-12-24
publication date: 2025-12-24
starting page: 35
ending page: 56
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.18047345

Whose Justice? Forest Rights, Civil Society, and the Remaking of Environmental Governance in the Western Himalayas
type: item
description: In the Western Himalayas, the idea of justice in forests begins with the people who live alongside them. Here, forests are not just resources but part of everyday life, memory, and community rules. This paper follows the journey of civil society organisations (CSOs) in Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur as they work to claim Community Forest Rights (CFRs) under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. For twelve months, I travelled between villages, joined local meetings, spoke with elders and women leaders, and studied the records and campaigns of these groups. The aim was to see how CSOs come together, how they deal with traditional authorities, and why CFRs have not been implemented despite active mobilisation. The study finds that CSOs differ in form and approach but share the goal of keeping forests in community hands. They have slowed down some development projects and revived old conservation practices, yet face stalled claims due to unclear rules, official resistance, and competing economic plans. Customary systems in Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur remain essential, though not always open to all voices. Without changes to how claims are processed and without broader inclusion in decision-making, these rights are likely to remain on paper. Acknowledgements I am deeply grateful to all the regional civil society organisations for their insights and for participating in interviews for this study of Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur. Also thankful to all tribal members of both communities for their insights for the paper. Funding: This research received no external funding. Informed Consent Statement: Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study. Data Availability Statement: The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author. Conflicts of Interest: The author declares no conflicts of interest.
subject: Submissions
  topic: section
subject: Western Himalayas
  topic: keywords
subject: Civil Society
  topic: keywords
subject: Community Forest Rights
  topic: keywords
subject: Himachal Pradesh
  topic: keywords
subject: Environmental Justice
  topic: keywords
creator: Aanchal Seth
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
date: 2025-12-24
publication date: 2025-12-24
starting page: 19
ending page: 34
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.18047176

Coastal resilience, (mal)adaptation, and justice in Chennai
type: item
description: India’s central and state governments have proposed large-scale projects to promote coastal resilience. The ongoing efforts to adapt to frequent episodes of urban flooding in Chennai, the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India, have led to thousands of people being displaced from urban centres to peri-urban areas. This “relocation” of population with the ostensible goal of climate adaptation has led to adverse impacts on coastal ecology and local livelihoods. It has significantly undermined the goals of improving coastal resilience and climate justice, and constitutes a process of maladaptation. What are the root causes of the apparent contradiction between climate adaptation and climate resilience interventions promoted by national and subnational governments? Drawing on field research involving key-informant interviews and analysis of ongoing policy developments, we show that maladaptation results from a lack of democratic decision-making and a failure of accountability. We conclude that policy responses for climate resilience and adaptation are mediated by the socioeconomic and political context. Under a policy context that excludes most of the city’s residents from participating actively in the policy process, decision-makers do not pay heed to the interests and perspectives of low-income residents. Skewed policy responses are not only unjust; they are also ineffective. The “resettlement” of residents from the city’s slums into the ecologically sensitive zones in the surrounding areas, and a failure to prevent the siting of infrastructure in ecologically sensitive areas of peri-urban Chennai, have led to continued degradation of the city’s ecology. Future research must consider proposals for introducing mechanisms of accountability in climate resilience and adaptation.
subject: Submissions
  topic: section
subject: Climate justice
  topic: keywords
subject: Maladaptation
  topic: keywords
subject: Coastal resilience
  topic: keywords
subject: Accountability
  topic: keywords
subject: Informal settlements
  topic: keywords
creator: Rajesh Ramakrishnan
creator: Prakash Kashwan
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
date: 2025-12-24
publication date: 2025-12-24
starting page: 1
ending page: 18
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.18047145

Digital Shadows in Illicit Financial Flows: Unraveling Nigeria's Cryptocurrency Paradox and Illuminating Pathways to Financial Integrity
type: item
description: Nigeria’s lead in global cryptocurrency adoption amidst a slumping economy presents a fascinating paradox. This raises, inter alia, concerns about the factors driving cryptocurrency adoption and its potential for illicit financial flows in the country. Consequently, this study aims to identify the key factors facilitating the use of cryptocurrency for illicit financial flows in Nigeria, assess its impact on the country's economy, and propose workable solutions to address the challenges. Leveraging extant literature, an interview, and Davis' Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) for empirical analysis, the paper identifies the decentralized nature of the blockchain and the anonymity provided by mixers, tumblers, and privacy coins as “perceived usefulness”, and the relatively higher cost and delays of international transactions with commercial banks in comparison to the blockchain as the “perceived ease of use”. The paper further submits that a porous legal framework guides the use of cryptocurrency in Nigeria, which is part of the enabling factors of on-chain illicit financial flows in the country. This is despite recent policy shifts, including the introduction of Nigeria’s Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), which have not effectively addressed these issues. The research concludes that, notwithstanding the risks associated with cryptocurrencies, they also present opportunities for financial inclusivity.
subject: Submissions
  topic: section
subject: Nigeria
  topic: keywords
subject: Cryptocurrency
  topic: keywords
subject: Illicit Financial Flows
  topic: keywords
subject: Finance
  topic: keywords
subject: Parado
  topic: keywords
subject: Blockchain
  topic: keywords
creator: Wisdom Essien
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
date: 2025-12-17
publication date: 2025-12-17
starting page: 103
ending page: 126
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17967591

The illicit Organ Trade: Biographical, Anatomical, Economic and Legal Aspects
type: item
description: A kidney can cost up to USD 200,000. Humans have two kidneys but normally require just one to live. Individuals can donate one to relatives for altruistic reasons. But to pay USD 200,000 - or any other amount - to obtain a kidney, no country in the world allows that. Except for Iran. This global blanket ban has pushed the trade of organs underground and it now ranks as the fourth most lucrative illegal activity – behind only drugs, arms, and human trafficking. Rising incidence of end-stage kidney disease will increase demand for replacement kidneys, both gifted and bought. This essay studies this trade using two case studies, one of a Nigerian leading legislator arrested in the UK for getting a kidney for his daughter and another on kidney demand in Iran where trade in organs is permitted. The global value of the trade is studied, and literature gaps are discussed. The inadequacies of the current system are highlighted and improvements suggested, based on best practices around the world.
subject: Submissions
  topic: section
subject: Organ trade
  topic: keywords
subject: Organ donation
  topic: keywords
subject: Organ transplant
  topic: keywords
subject: Kidneys
  topic: keywords
subject: Altruism
  topic: keywords
subject: Nudging
  topic: keywords
creator: Nater Paul Akpen
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
date: 2025-11-12
publication date: 2025-11-12
starting page: 86
ending page: 102
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17591291

Qur’anic ecological ontology, poverty, and the climate crisis: Ecological and economic correctives
type: item
description: This article argues that the Qur’an’s ecological ontology, anchored in mīzān (balance), amānah (trust), and khalīfah (stewardship), and operationalised through ijtihād (independent reasoning), tafsīr (exegesis), and shūrā (consultation), constitutes a normative and policy-ready framework capable of addressing the joint crises of climate breakdown and poverty. Using close textual analysis of Qur’anic āyāt (verses) alongside classical and modern scholarship, I show how Qur’anic injunctions ‘for those believe’ against fasād (corruption) and isrāf (wastefulness) translate into redistributive, sufficiency-based economic model aligned with planetary limits.
subject: Submissions
  topic: section
subject: Ecology
  topic: keywords
subject: Islamic political economy
  topic: keywords
subject: Justice
  topic: keywords
subject: Poverty
  topic: keywords
subject: Qur’an
  topic: keywords
creator: Khadija Sharife
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
date: 2025-11-12
publication date: 2025-11-12
starting page: 70
ending page: 85
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17590919

Cybercrimes and the illicit financial flows in Myanmar
type: item
description: The rapid expansion of online gambling in Southeast Asia has created an alluring yet deceptive environment, promising financial gain while fostering fraudulent activities and illicit financial flows. This study explores the intersection of online fraudulent gambling and transnational organized crime in Southeast Asia, with a particular focus on Myanmar. Criminal syndicates exploit regulatory loopholes and weak enforcement to orchestrate scams, including rigged games, catfishing schemes, and human trafficking. The anonymity of digital platforms enables large-scale fraud, such as the "pig-butchering" scam, which inflicts severe financial and psychological harm on victims. Beyond individual losses, online scams fuel money laundering, economic destabilization, and corruption, while exacerbating social problems like addiction, debt, and family breakdown. Vulnerable groups, including the young, elderly, and low-income populations, are disproportionately affected, but even wealthy individuals from the West are targeted. Myanmar’s ongoing political instability has further enabled these illicit operations, allowing criminal networks to exploit weakened regulatory structures and facilitate money laundering linked to arms and resource smuggling. This research underscores the urgent need for national, regional, and global cooperation to strengthen regulatory frameworks, enhance enforcement mechanisms, and mitigate the growing threat of online gambling-related crime in Myanmar and Southeast Asia.
subject: Submissions
  topic: section
subject: Cybercrimes
  topic: keywords
subject: Transnational crime
  topic: keywords
subject: Money laundering
  topic: keywords
subject: Myanmar
  topic: keywords
creator: Thant Thura Zan
creator: Soe Thaw Tar Kyaw Min
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
date: 2025-05-19
publication date: 2025-05-19
starting page: 43
ending page: 69
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.15467435

Logging in: Dismantling the Dark Web of Africa’s Timber Industry
type: item
description: Timber is one of Africa’s most valuable natural resources and has long played a vital role in shaping local economies. In recent decades, however, the continent’s forests have become deeply entangled in the global illegal timber trade, which is estimated to be worth up to $157 billion annually. As international demand for tropical timber has grown, so too has the scale of unlawful harvesting and export across Africa. This paper explores how Africa has become a key supplier of unprocessed timber to global markets. Despite efforts to promote legal and sustainable logging, enforcement has been inconsistent and easily undermined. Corruption, regulatory gaps, and a general lack of political resolve have allowed illegal operators to move timber with minimal resistance. These conditions have weakened conservation efforts and facilitated illicit financial flows. The paper analyses the actors involved in the illegal trade and the reasons behind its persistence. It concludes by outlining practical reforms aimed at improving transparency and reducing harm to both people and forests.
subject: Submissions
  topic: section
subject: Timber
  topic: keywords
subject: Logging
  topic: keywords
subject: Rosewood
  topic: keywords
subject: Africa
  topic: keywords
subject: Forests
  topic: keywords
creator: Maunga Mulomba
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
date: 2025-05-09
publication date: 2025-05-09
starting page: 18
ending page: 42
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.15376171

Addressing the Causal Factors of Poverty in Muslim Mindanao: Perspectives from Thomas Pogge and Iris Marion Young
type: item
description: This paper intends to discuss the nature and consequences of the institutional causal factors of deprivation in Muslim Mindanao. Poverty can be attributed to clannish rivalries, failures in peace agreements, a shadow economy controlled by local bosses, and a patronage system of government dominated by the elites. Historical as well as structural injustice are the direct causes of poverty in the region. Exclusion is anchored in centralised rule, which denies Muslim Filipinos their basic rights to human well-being. The existing approaches to improving the standard of living in Muslim Mindanao do not address the control of political dynasties, enabled by political power brokers who want to perpetuate their vested interests. Following the ethical frameworks of Thomas Pogge and Iris Marion Young, I argue that overturning the problem of poverty in the Bangsamoro requires the levelling of the playing field by introducing grassroots-based political parties who in turn, once in power, can dismantle the dominance of influential clans and families by introducing inclusive and competitive economic policies that can promote equitable wealth distribution within the region.
subject: Submissions
  topic: section
subject: Poverty
  topic: keywords
subject: Bangsamoro
  topic: keywords
subject: Patronage System
  topic: keywords
subject: Clannish Politics
  topic: keywords
subject: Underground Economy
  topic: keywords
creator: Christopher Ryan B. Maboloc
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
date: 2025-05-09
publication date: 2025-05-09
starting page: 1
ending page: 17
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.15372925

Multicultural Citizenship: Justice and Recognition of Difference for Indigenous Peoples in Brazil
type: item
description: The fundamental rights recognised in Brazil’s Federal Constitution seek to guarantee all individuals a life with dignity. It turns out that such rights have been marked by a process of transformations based on social relations, which today incorporates the recognition of the differences between different peoples and cultural diversity. The objective of this work is to analyse how Kymlicka's multicultural citizenship proposal manages to extend the protection of justice and fundamental rights for indigenous peoples by combining the guarantee of individual rights with collective rights. A theoretical approach was used, supported by secondary sources, and, as a methodological procedure, bibliographical, documentary, and descriptive research. Given the framework presented, it is found that multicultural liberalism promotes the implementation of fundamental rights of Indigenous peoples, with the protection of minorities and differentiated rights, but within state political barriers and without ignoring individual responsibility, and placing the discussion within a broader context.
subject: Submissions
  topic: section
subject: Multicultural citizenship
  topic: keywords
subject: Indigenous peoples
  topic: keywords
subject: Fundamental rights
  topic: keywords
subject: Justice
  topic: keywords
creator: Gabriel Outeiro
rights: Copyright (c) 2023 Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
date: 2024-12-30
publication date: 2024-12-30
starting page: 75
ending page: 86
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.14690624

Introduction to Special Issue Toward Food Security in Africa
type: item
description: Living well below 10% of the global average income, 34% of humankind and 65% of Africans have less to spend on food each day than what USD 3 can buy in the United States. The resulting nutritional deficits cause severe health problems, especially for children whose physical and mental development they permanently impair. Governments promise reform – often – but have achieved no progress during the last decade. In fact, the rapid ecological harms they continue to facilitate contribute greatly to food insecurity. Focusing on Africa, the present volume discusses food insecurity: what it is, the forms it takes, its distribution and its evolution over time, its main drivers with emphasis on responsible parties, and viable reforms toward food security for all.
subject: Submissions
  topic: section
subject: Food insecurity
  topic: keywords
subject: Healthy diet
  topic: keywords
subject: Measuring undernourishment
  topic: keywords
subject: Nutritional deficits
  topic: keywords
subject: Poverty
  topic: keywords
subject: Seasonal hunger
  topic: keywords
creator: Jean Mboma
creator: Thomas Pogge
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
date: 2024-08-21
publication date: 2024-08-21
starting page: i
ending page: viii
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.13356356

Food or Fuel? The Case for a US Strategic Corn Reserve and Food-Fuel Throttle to Reduce Global Hunger During Food Price Spikes
type: item
description: Corn, at 47 billion bushels annually, is the second most produced crop globally, serving as a key staple food for billions. The U.S. is the world's largest producer and consumer, producing 13.7 billion bushels in 2023. Out of this, the US uses roughly 40% to produce fuel for cars and trucks, because of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), with 40% used for animal feed and the remaining 20% going to food and other uses. In recent years, world events such as Covid and the Ukraine war have caused food price spikes, resulting in severe hunger for the global poor, especially the millions at the margins of food affordability in Sub-Saharan Africa. It could be strategically beneficial for the US to adjust its corn storage and allocation policy. This paper sets forth two policy proposals: (1) Strategic Corn Reserve (SCR) to store corn for periods of soaring prices modeled on the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR); (2) Fuel-Food Throttle (FFT) for flexible usage of corn as fuel or food depending on the situation. The benefits of these policies would significantly outweigh the costs, by reducing hunger in critical moments and countering foreign influence in poverty-stricken regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa. To execute these bold policies will require either an executive order and/or congressional legislation, as well as developing pathways for storage and flexible use, which are outlined within.
subject: Submissions
  topic: section
subject: Agriculture
  topic: keywords
subject: Energy Production
  topic: keywords
subject: Food Security
  topic: keywords
subject: Policy Reform
  topic: keywords
subject: United States
  topic: keywords
creator: Kiran Chokshi
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
date: 2024-06-23
publication date: 2024-06-23
starting page: 93
ending page: 101
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.12506093

Battling the Illegal Wildlife Trade Through Regulatory Finance: The Southeast Asian Context
type: item
description: The illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is a US$20 billion global industry, with significant environmental, economic, and sociopolitical harms. Fueled by a complex interplay of drivers and enabling factors, IWT poses concrete stumbling blocks for several UN Sustainable Development Goals. There is an urgent need for comprehensive reforms to address its multifaceted consequences around the world. In Southeast Asia, IWT is rampant as the region serves as a global hub for this black market. However, because of its characterization as an invisible threat, many aspects of IWT in the region remains understudied, particularly its relationship with illicit financial flows. In this paper, I look at the different economic and legal interventions to address IWT, focusing on regulatory finance. Adapting legal mechanisms from comparative jurisdictions, I propose three measures to be spearheaded by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Economic Community: first, to strengthen the implementation of existing financial crime instruments through specialized training and the utilization of emerging technology such as AI and blockchain; second, to append wildlife crimes as predicate offences to financial felonies, and; third, to utilize financial regulation instruments to fight poverty and support inclusive community development, encouraging communities to be proactive partners in long-term wildlife conservation.
subject: Submissions
  topic: section
subject: Illegal Wildlife Trade
  topic: keywords
subject: Sustainable Development Goals
  topic: keywords
subject: Southeast Asia
  topic: keywords
subject: Artificial Intelligence
  topic: keywords
subject: Regulatory Finance
  topic: keywords
creator: Chad Patrick Osorio
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
date: 2024-06-09
publication date: 2024-06-09
starting page: 44
ending page: 74
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.11536683

Taming the Untamable: Rethinking, Regulating, and Revamping Hawala
type: item
description: This paper examines the Hawala system, an ancient remittance mechanism enabling money transfers without physical fund movement. Originating from medieval commerce in the Near and Middle East and China’s Tang Dynasty, Hawala now handles an estimated $100-$300 billion annually, operating in parallel with formal financial systems. Despite its vital role for unbanked communities, especially in South Asia and among migrant populations globally, Hawala is often associated with corruption and illicit activities, with post-9/11 links to terrorism and money laundering intensifying calls for its eradication. This study delineates Hawala’s historical roots, unique characteristics, and structure through illustrative examples. It dissects its widespread popularity, exploring geographical prevalence and competitive advantages. Focusing on India, the paper provides a comprehensive overview of Hawala’s socio-economic impact and regulatory complexities, advocating for a balanced dual-pronged approach to integrate Hawala into the formal economy without driving it underground.
subject: Submissions
  topic: section
subject: Political economy
  topic: keywords
subject: Global justice
  topic: keywords
subject: Banking
  topic: keywords
subject: Hawala
  topic: keywords
subject: Illicit financial flows
  topic: keywords
subject: Financial regulation
  topic: keywords
creator: Bilal Moin
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
date: 2024-06-01
publication date: 2024-06-01
starting page: 20
ending page: 43
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.11411586

The Influencing of Consumer Aspirations on Food Choice, Sourcing and Consumption Among Low-Income Households of eThekwini Municipality: A Pilot Study
type: item
description: Unhealthy foods, availed through food retail supermarkets, restaurant franchises, and the local street food market, have become everyday foods for the average South African. Reliance on unhealthy food results in high incidence of non-communicable diseases, which necessitate a transition towards healthy diets produced from sustainable healthy food systems. This study sought to understand factors influencing food choice, sourcing, and resultant food consumption behaviour among low-income households of eThekwini Municipality, South Africa. The study used the photovoice method to collect primary data and the inductive thematic approach to analyse the data. Results reveal that consumer food choice, sourcing, and consumption are influenced by deeply rooted aspirations for a superior lifestyle which drives perceptions about socially acceptable foods. These aspirations not only define and perpetuate an unhealthy diet but have the potential to suppress efforts towards development of sustainable healthy food systems. This study opens discourses on consumer aspirations in relation to food choice, sourcing, and consumption behaviour, which are critical to policy and programme development in promoting healthy diets among low-income households of South Africa.
subject: Submissions
  topic: section
subject: Consumer aspirations
  topic: keywords
subject: Consumption behaviour
  topic: keywords
subject: Food choice
  topic: keywords
subject: Sustainable healthy food systems
  topic: keywords
subject: Low-income households
  topic: keywords
creator: Chuma B. Chinzila
creator: Sibongile Buthelezi
creator: Duduzile Khumalo
creator: Catherine Sutherland
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
date: 2024-05-29
publication date: 2024-05-29
starting page: 76
ending page: 92
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.11384301

Pork Knockers, Powder People, and a “Fully Criminalized State”: The Dynamics of Illicit Financial Flows in the Surinamese Gold Sector
type: item
description: Gold is Suriname’s largest export, accounting for more than half of total exports in recent years. Suriname’s modern history has been marked by widespread corruption, economic instability, and state collusion with transnational organized crime networks. In this context, IFFs have flourished, in particular in Suriname’s gold sector. This paper demonstrates how gold has turned Suriname into a regional hub for money laundering and tax evasion operations. While otherwise a small regional power, Suriname’s role in the illicit gold trade extends its influence throughout northern South America and the Caribbean. Estimates of the scale of IFFs in the Surinamese gold sector are provided, as is a detailed account of the various harms of unchecked financial corruption. The paper concludes with concrete policy proposals for limiting the scale of gold-related IFFs in Suriname.
subject: Submissions
  topic: section
subject: Corruption
  topic: keywords
subject: Financial Flows
  topic: keywords
subject: Organized crime
  topic: keywords
subject: Suriname
  topic: keywords
subject: Sustainable development
  topic: keywords
creator: Alexander Jacobs
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
date: 2024-05-29
publication date: 2024-05-29
starting page: 4
ending page: 19
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.11383030

Exploring the Viability of Utilizing Agricultural and Rural Areas for Tourism: A Comparative Analysis of Farming Between Conventional and Agritourism Farms during the COVID-19 pandemic
type: item
description: This study compares the performance of conventional and agritourism farming to investigate how the COVID-19 epidemic has affected agricultural efficiency. The study was carried out in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Tanzania, due to a comparatively high concentration of agritourism and conventional farmers. Regression analysis and the slack-based measure data envelopment analysis model (SBM-DEA) are used in this study to assess farming efficiency and identify the critical variables influencing the productivity of conventional and agritourism farmers. The application of the comparative approach is what sets this paper apart, as most researchers tend to examine conventional farmers and agritourism farmers separately leading to a noticeable methodological gap. The results reveal a significant efficiency gap, where conventional farmers outperformed agritourism farmers. This result shows how vulnerable agritourism farming is to external disruptions exemplified by COVID-19-related disruptions. Moreover, the study identifies the positive influence of training and direct sales-to-consumers on efficiency, while recognizing the negative influence of lack of value addition and production of export crops. These insights are important for designing targeted strategies to ensure a sustainable recovery post-COVID-19.
subject: Submissions
  topic: section
subject: Agritourism
  topic: keywords
subject: Efficiency
  topic: keywords
subject: SBM-DEA Model
  topic: keywords
subject: Comparative Analysis
  topic: keywords
subject: COVID-19
  topic: keywords
creator: Issa Kachenje
creator: Yasuo Ohe
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
date: 2024-04-28
publication date: 2024-04-28
starting page: 58
ending page: 75
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.11080927

Harnessing the Untapped Potential of Youth Agripreneurship in Creating Employment and Food Security in Africa
type: item
description: Agripreneurship has huge potential to create employment, especially for youths and women, and thereby to reduce poverty in Africa. It is among the most promising sectors in Africa and an essential driver of economic development. But this potential has yet to be tapped. Through a review of relevant literature, this paper highlights the role of agripreneurship in creating youth employment in Africa and further highlights strategies for job creation for youth in agriculture. Secondary data was gathered from databases such as Google Scholar, John Wiley, Springer, SAGE, Scopus, and Taylor and Francis. If properly integrated, youth have the capacity to drive socio-economic development in Africa. However, despite its enormous potential, more work must be done to effectively incorporate youth in agripreneurship in Africa. The findings further indicate that youth participation in agribusiness can enhance youth employment and food production in Africa. Increased efforts to integrate youth into the food system will reduce the incidence of crime and poverty on the African continent. Government and development sector players must collaborate and form coalitions to tackle the challenge of youth unemployment collectively rather than in silos. Proper strategies and integration of youth in agripreneurship will increase job creation, food security, and income for many African farmers.
subject: Submissions
  topic: section
subject: Africa
  topic: keywords
subject: Agripreneurship
  topic: keywords
subject: Employment creation
  topic: keywords
subject: Food system
  topic: keywords
creator: Rogito Jeremiah Magoma
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
date: 2024-04-13
publication date: 2024-04-13
starting page: 50
ending page: 57
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.11035080

The Synergy of Food Sovereignty and the Politics of Malnutrition in Tanzania: What Works, Why and How?
type: item
description: Recent data from Tanzania's National Bureau of Statistics show the alarming extent of malnutrition: 35% of under-five children classified as stunted and 15% as underweight, demanding urgent intervention. This paper investigates the synergy between food sovereignty and politics of malnutrition in Tanzania, examining mechanisms, effectiveness, and strategies. It asserts that the interplay between food sovereignty and politics of malnutrition drives socio-economic progress and food security. Using a case study approach, the paper evaluates scalable food sovereignty projects in Tanzania. Interviews with stakeholders, including officials, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and experts, offered insights into the complex relationship. The paper explores “food sovereignty” theory alignment with case studies (the What), rationale for realizing the right-to-food in Tanzania (the Why), and operationalizing policies amid the “politics of malnutrition” (the How). The paper draws on political ecology theory by Bryant and Bailey to explore food sovereignty-malnutrition synergy. Findings reveal that successful food sovereignty projects enhance food security and reduce child malnutrition. Factors include agroecological practices, traditional food systems, women and youth engagement, and community resource mobilization, empowering communities and prioritizing nutrition. Food sovereignty proves transformative in Tanzania and similar contexts, yet structural/political changes are vital to challenging industrial agriculture and global markets. In general, the success of food sovereignty projects in addressing malnutrition in Tanzania illustrates the potential of food sovereignty as a transformative approach to addressing food insecurity and malnutrition. However, achieving food sovereignty requires challenging the dominance of industrial agriculture and global food markets.
subject: Submissions
  topic: section
subject: Agriculture
  topic: keywords
subject: Food sovereignty
  topic: keywords
subject: Malnutrition
  topic: keywords
subject: Policy reforms
  topic: keywords
subject: Structural transformation
  topic: keywords
subject: Tanzania
  topic: keywords
creator: Edwin E. Ngowi
creator: Respikius Martin
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Academics Stand Against Poverty
date: 2024-03-05
publication date: 2024-03-05
starting page: 29
ending page: 49
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.10782951

Better Soils for Resilient Agricultural Production
type: item
description: Agriculture plays a pivotal role in improving food security and reducing poverty in Africa, as well as in promoting climate change mitigation and adaptation and general progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the agricultural sector employs 70% of the population and is estimated to contribute roughly 15% to GDP. But changing climate conditions and poor agricultural practices lead to soil degradation of up to 65% of agricultural lands in SSA, threatening food security. The “betterSoil” concept is a holistic and systemic approach that stresses the whole, considers essential regional aspects to link economic prosperity and sustainable agricultural practices, and addresses climate change. Its four simple principles – soil management, compost, biochar, and agroforestry – can unlock the potential of soils to restore soil organic matter, to protect soil fertility and biodiversity, and to sequester CO2 for the future build-up of humus in agricultural soils. Better soils can promote economic growth and development, especially in low-income countries hit hardest by climate change. Its four principles support the introduction of climate-positive practices that can be implemented anywhere. To harvest the benefits of large-scale soil improvement, farmers, governments, the African Union, individuals, the private sector, and practitioners must work together to bring theory on better soils into practice.
subject: Submissions
  topic: section
subject: Agriculture
  topic: keywords
subject: Food security
  topic: keywords
subject: Poverty
  topic: keywords
subject: Soil health
  topic: keywords
subject: Sustainability
  topic: keywords
creator: Elaheh Daghighi
creator: Vincent Ayugi
creator: Elika Daghighi
creator: Azadeh Farajpour
creator: Kevin Z. Mganga
creator: Tobias Orthen
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 2024
date: 2024-02-23
publication date: 2024-02-23
starting page: 10
ending page: 28
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.10697677

Debts, Human Rights, and the Poor: From London 1953 to Present Human Rights Violations
type: item
description: The London Debt Agreement’s 70th anniversary provides an occasion to compare present “debt management” with the extremely generous debt reduction Germany received in 1953. After triggering two World Wars, Germany's creditors, among them developing countries, allowed a German national to tell them how much Germany should pay — an absolutely unique feature in the history of sovereign debts. Arbitration for any arising disagreement and a limit on payments were stipulated while massive social expenditures were allowed. Naturally, Germany's role in the Cold War explains this unique agreement. This example contrasts most sharply with so-called “Structural Adjustment” programs forced on debtor countries since 1982, in which social expenditures have been cut and debt service payments have been maximized, violating debtor protection, human rights, and the Rule of Law as creditors have acted as judges in their own cause. Economies and especially the poor have suffered horribly. Creditors alone have decided. Only NGO pressure has introduced trace elements of debtor protection, all arbitrarily decided by creditors. Meanwhile, the Bretton Woods Institutions (BWIs) have played an especially wicked role as debt administrators. After describing the London agreement and Indonesia’s similarly politically motivated debt relief around 1970, this paper will analyze the glaring differences in debtor treatments. Germany, an adamant hardliner, was especially vile on Spain and Greece, two benefactors who had forgiven German debts in 1953. After itself benefitting from relief, still not having fulfilled all stipulated obligations, Germany turned arguably into the staunchest opponent against treating other sovereign debtors (including countries that had generously forgiven German debts) in a decent, Rule-of-Law and human rights-based manner. This is difficult to understand – unless German governments after 1945 still believe that different rules should apply to Germans than to everyone else.
subject: Submissions
  topic: section
subject: Cold War
  topic: keywords
subject: Debt Reduction
  topic: keywords
subject: Germany
  topic: keywords
subject: Human Rights
  topic: keywords
subject: Structural Adjustment
  topic: keywords
creator: Kunibert Raffer
rights: Copyright (c) 2023 Academics Stand Against Poverty
date: 2023-12-20
publication date: 2023-12-20
starting page: 61
ending page: 77
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.1058202

COP28: Superstition or Reform
type: item
description: COP28 is over, and the participants finally managed to agree on a consensus document. But it is childish superstition to believe that the outcome will really reduce greenhouse emissions. What is needed is a focus on two important reforms. After two weeks of wrangling over words at COP28, they finally adopted a consensus document recognizing the need for significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions - down to zero by 2050 - with the for the COP apparently new insight that this requires a transition away from fossil fuels. Some see these sentences as a key historical event and landmark. Others regard them as trivial and meaningless because it remains completely open who should do what and by when to achieve the desired global target state.
subject: Submissions
  topic: section
subject: COP 28
  topic: keywords
subject: Sustainable Development Goals
  topic: keywords
subject: Hunger
  topic: keywords
subject: Lobbying
  topic: keywords
subject: Fossil-fuel subsidies
  topic: keywords
subject: Patents
  topic: keywords
subject: Ecological Impact Fund
  topic: keywords
creator: Thomas Pogge
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Academics Stand Against Poverty
date: 2023-12-22
publication date: 2023-12-22
starting page: 1
ending page: 3
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.10425435

The Changing Dynamics of Agricultural Land Use in Kenya: Legal responses to address the threat of food insecurity from land fragmentation
type: item
description: Land fragmentation is a critical issue in Kenya, posing a major threat to food security in the country. This study investigates the impact of land fragmentation on food security, with a focus on changes in agricultural land use. Using a mixed-methods approach that uses qualitative and quantitative data from desktop research, the findings reveal that land fragmentation leads to a rapid decline in arable land without the corresponding technologies to improve productivity. Cultural practices, shifting agricultural habits, and changing demographics drive land fragmentation, resulting in reduced agricultural productivity, limited credit access, and higher transaction costs, all of which adversely affect food security in Kenya. The study also emphasizes the significance of land tenure security, particularly for smallholder farmers who own fragmented land. Insecure land tenure hinders investment, credit access, and long-term agricultural planning. The paper concludes by recommending policy interventions such as land consolidation programs, leasing and collective farming, as well as property tax to address the issue of land fragmentation and enhance food security.
subject: Submissions
  topic: section
subject: Land use change
  topic: keywords
subject: Agriculture
  topic: keywords
subject: Land fragmentation
  topic: keywords
subject: Land leasing
  topic: keywords
subject: Contract agriculture
  topic: keywords
creator: Angella Wairimu Kangethe
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Academics Stand Against Poverty
date: 2024-01-01
publication date: 2024-01-01
starting page: 1
ending page: 9
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.10629013

The African Union - Rising
type: item
description: Founded in 1999, the G20 is a self-constituted elite group of powerful governments meant to set directions for the structuring and maintenance of the world economy. Its founding members are the main Western economies (U.S., Canada, Australia, UK, Germany, France, Italy, and the European Union) and the major economies in the rest of the world (Japan, China, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa). Chaired by India in 2023 and holding its 18th summit in New Delhi, the G20 resolved to invite the African Union (AU) to join as a full 21st member. Such inclusion had been deemed unfitting in earlier years because the GDP of all 55 African Union members taken together amounts to no more than the GDP of the UK and because South Africa's inclusion as the weakest member already secured a token presence for the continent.
subject: Submissions
  topic: section
creator: Thomas Pogge
rights: Copyright (c) 2023 Academics Stand Against Poverty
date: 2023-10-17
publication date: 2023-10-17
starting page: 57
ending page: 60
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.10014908