Grassroots organizations such as Butterfly: Asian Migrant and Sex Workers Network in Toronto and API Chaya’s Massage Parlor Outreach Program in Seattle are working within communities to connect migrant workers to resources, combat stigma, advocate for decriminalization, educate on the differences between sex work and human trafficking and conduct needs assessments of workers to inform policy change. 

Media: This Medium article - White Saviors “Rescuing” Asian Women & Who They Truly Serve: Thoughts on the Massage Parlor Raids in Seattle’s Chinatown/International District

Many of the problems the international development sector attempts to alleviate were caused by the colonization and the forced extraction of resources by Europe and its white dominant colonies where the indigenous populations were devastated –US, Canada, Australia. Developed high income countries and the global elite have benefitted from these systems of oppression and are now attempting to improve, through official development assistance programs, multinational organizations, and NGOs, economic conditions of extreme poverty through aid programs. The western neoliberal methods of governments and NGOs providing aid assistance have not been working in many places and has been detrimental to some. Much research is pointing to the benefits of promoting community agency and social justice in poverty alleviation, as well as debunking the paternalistic myths of how the poor balance their budgets and plan for the future. Providing effective banking tools that fit communities specific needs is one strengths-based solution. 

Our World in Data is a wonderful resource for examining all types of trends. In this article a lot of the data used is collected by the World Bank.

 While some these solutions are band-aids, and don't directly change structures, they are still solutions that help and support students in need. A solution mentioned in the literature, is a program called College Unbound, which is essentially a student driven program that awards students with a BA degree once completed. There are supports and resources available, while also being a really accommodating program, which really helps their students succeed. College Unbound really pushes the notion and idea that colleges should be student ready, not the other way around (Field, 2020).  Another one of the solutions that I found, and have personal experience with, is Upward Bound programs. Trio Upward Bound is a program that helps and supports first generation and low-income students in preparing for college, and also supporting them once they are there. In the high school stages, they support students with applications, financial aid, SAT prep, and also provide college level classes for high school credit. Once in university or college, there are Trio specific advisers available to help them specifically (Ruffin, 2018). Both of these solutions are showing that colleges are student ready, and students are also college ready. These solutions are coming from the bottom. Some public universities have funds available to fund students through their education, but there are also conditions and barriers to that funding, which is still rooted in outcomes, capitalism, and neoliberalism.

Media:
As a first gen student, I was supported by them, but now also work with them for my practicum.
https://www.washington.edu/omad/

The issue of this topic is the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The tension began when former President Viktor Yanukovych rejected the EU deal, and many Ukrainian started to protest. The east and south parts of Ukraine were supporting Yanukovych; Ukrainians started to protest, which led to the suspension of Yanukovych (Bebler, 2015). A group of Ukrainians, especially in Crimea, began to call Russians to protect them and asked to be part of the Russian Federation (Bebler, 2015). In 2004 the Russian government annexed Crimea (Bebler, 2015). The conflict remains until today and the Russian attacks in Donbas and Donetsk regions ("Upcoming Period Will Be Crucial," n.d.). Historically, Russia always wanted to have access to the Mediterranean Sea, and since the Russian Empire, the Crimea played a strategic and economic role (Bebler, 2015). 

The Normandy Four with the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) with Russia to facilitate a diplomatic resolution to the conflict in the Donbas region of Ukraine ("Upcoming Period Will Be Crucial," n.d.). Normandy Four represents Germany, Russia, Ukraine, and France, and they meet on D-Day Celebration in Normandy. The TCG is a group of the representative from Ukraine, Russian Federation, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Their goal is to reduce the attacks and help the Ukrainians who need humanitarian aid. The plan for 2020 is to provide humanitarian aid to 2 million people("Upcoming Period Will Be Crucial," n.d.). There have been positive changes, such as stopping the attacks in Stanytsia, Luhanska, Zolote, and Petrivske, which are the pilot areas ("Upcoming Period Will Be Crucial," n.d.).

One of the reasons child labor exists is because of capitalism. Companies exploit vulnerable populations, such as children, because they are easier to coerce, force, or fraud into taking low wages while working long hours in harsh conditions. Ultimately, the companies sell the products at exponentially
higher rates and receive all the profit. There is a demand for this because of consumerism, the excessive desire for the new, best, cheap product. The consumerism mindset has resulted in the rapid demand for the supply of products to increase, consequently, it means there is a demand for more cheap labor continuing to perpetuate child exploitation.

Solutions:
As consumers, we are all contributing to child exploitation by buying products. However, that also means we all have the choice to be conscious consumers and to turn our emotions about unethical practices into action. If we all spend money and buy fair trade products, companies that use labor exploitation practices will notice because they will be losing money. Thanks to capitalism, this will ultimately force them to confront their unethical practices and shift to quality products and human rights. A successful example of this is Theo’s chocolate which is based right here in Seattle!

 

The key takeaway is not perfectionism and throwing away all your goods and only ever buying fair trade products, instead, it's about being aware, doing research, which will
move us towards being more conscious consumers.

Here are some helpful resources: 

Strength Based Approach/Solution:
International Migration has great potential as it increases national diversity and social transformation of societies (Basso, 2015). Castles (2010) argues that re-shaping theoretical studies of migration into knowledge of contemporary society will positively contribute to social change movements. Videler (2017) explains that changing the discourse of how migration is referenced within the public view (research & media) can change societal perspective on migration.

Media:  This video illustrates how negative discourse about migrant families perpetuates racist ideologies and dehumanization.

More information on Sea-Eye below!

Africans have relied on traditional farming methods until agribusiness corporations began imposing neoliberal market-based solutions onto peasant farmers.  Some of these practices include genetically engineered seeds from large seed companies and chemical fertilizers intended to “improve productivity” of the crops.  These farming methods are not sustainable as they hurt the well-being of community and the land on which their food grows.  The genetically modified seeds are not as adaptable to changing climate conditions as the natural seeds traditionally used by peasant farmers.  These practices are destructive to the ecosystem and enable dependency on external sources, decreasing the agency of farming communities.  Even further, governments are giving in to corporate and donor pressure to adopt laws and policies that prohibit farmers from saving, using, exchanging, and selling their own seeds.  

An alternative method to the agribusiness monoculture approach is Agroecology.  This concept addresses and assesses the complexity of agroecosystems and is ecological, biodiverse, local, sustainable, and socially-just.  It is essential that these communities recover the ancestral knowledge of agricultural practices and be involved in policy decisions that affect their livelihood.  Grassroots organizations and advocacy are essential to supporting these communities and foster individual autonomy.

Strength-based approach/solution:
The Live-In Caregiver program offers a pathway to citizenship for immigrant domestic workers, including child care providers through Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program. This pathway provides a Canadians an opportunity to employ foreign nationals to provide care for children, seniors, or people with disabilities. An individual would only need to be in the program for two years in order to apply for citizenship. An ability to apply for citizenship gives workers and their families an opportunity for stability and employment mobility, while still providing a much needed service for citizens.
Media: 

The clip below gives a glimpse into the life of an immigrant domestic worker and the impact of these choices on the individual and their family.

You can also listen a spotify playlist I created that provides some levity to todays mood. The theme being "Mothers in Musicals" because A. I love musicals, and B. The stories of these mothers, both child care providers and employers have been on mind.

A Closer Look: I suggest watching Berta Vive, a 30-minute documentary about Berta Cáceres’ work defending the Gualcarque River against a dam funded by transnational capital and her subsequent murder. You can feel the deep grief of her family and community, and it is heartbreaking, but you can also feel their determination that Berta did not die—she multiplied.

 

Solutions: COPINH is a Honduran indigenous organization that struggles against capitalism, patriarchy, and racism through organizing and environmental defense.  Hear them speak about defending the water and discussing the harms of neoliberalism and transnational companies (the video is in Spanish, but the Auto-translated captions are mostly right). Through diligent organizing they have shifted international pressure to stop funding the dam and to seek justice for Berta’s murder—not just the people physically responsible, but the intellectual authors and the powerful government figures who are also responsible.

Follow them (and others like them) to shift global attention toward justice and systems change. Push the UN to actually enforce its policy to defend environmental defenders. Let Berta's story be a seed that grows within you and helps you move us all toward a different world.

Strength-Based Activism:

The Wet’suwet’en people are/have been sharing their interactions with Coastal Gas Link and the Canadian government on social media especially on Instagram. This serves to give authentic voice to this issue and also helps to keep their voice heard on a global scale as their stories and posts are shared over and over again. There have been many instances of peaceful protests including the blocking of railroads in by Indigenous people in Canada (link to article) and sit-ins and marches throughout Canada and even here in Seattle (Sit-ins here) (Seattle March here). All of these actions help to remind the world that Indigenous people have a voice and we may have to move within Capitalist, Imperialist structures (link to source here) but we are and will never be a conquered people.
*_{Both Songs "Electric Pow-Wow and The Virus are by A Tribe Called Red
*Poem used in Electric Pow-Wow Poem remix is "Gaawiin Awiya" by Abandon Shuman from their book Slowly; Or By Degrees"
*Electric Pow-Wow Poem remix is by Wesley Jones}

A Relevant Quote: Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. -Margaret Mead

In Puerto Rico’s current status as a commonwealth, they are granted US citizenship but cannot vote in a Presidential election unless they reside in mainland US, nor do they have a representative in Washington that has voting powers. Puerto Ricans are also required to pay US federal taxes (except for federal income tax); essentially, islanders are being taxed without representation. The United States provides Puerto Rico with some Federal Emergency assistance, but they only receive about 1/8^th of the funds as mainland states and less than 70% of Medicare reimbursement. The island also faced severe consequences when the US would not fully support island recovery after Hurricane Maria. Puerto Rico is two times as poor as the poorest state within the US. Becoming the 51^st state in the Union may help with the amount of assistance the island receives, but would it risk assimilation and loss of Puerto Rican culture?

Strength-Based Approach:  

Both the United States and Puerto Rico agree, whatever the future holds for Puerto Rico, it needs to come from the people of the island. Since 1967, Puerto Rico has conducted five plebiscites (similar to a referendum) to vote on whether Puerto Rico should become the 51^st state in the Union, an independent colony, or maintain their current relationship with the United States as a commonwealth. The plebiscites have all been extremely politicized and none have ever shown a super majority, except the 2017 plebiscite which showed 98% of voters in favor of Statehood. It should be noted, however, that only 23% of Puerto Ricans voted in the 2017 plebiscite.

For the United States and Puerto Rico to officially change their relationship, their compact requires both nations to jointly approve of the change. This has been a serious concern for Puerto Ricans fighting for independence who do not believe the US will allow Puerto Rico to claim independent status. 

Individuals have also discussed involvement the United Nations through their Special Committee supporting decolonization efforts. Since Puerto Rico was removed from the UN’s non-self-governing list in 1953, it is not classified as a colony under their jurisdiction and the UN would first need to conduct an investigation to determine if Puerto Rico is “officially” a colony. Even more, for the United Nations to get involved, the UN would have to conduct their own referendum in Puerto Rico, which the United States would need to provide explicit permission to do. This is unlikely as that decision would conflict with the United States’ historical stance about the UN getting involved in internal affairs .  

Media: If you are interested in learning more about the history of Puerto Rico and the United States' relationship as well as the current debate about statehood vs. independence, I highly recommend you watch The Last Colony by Juan Agustin Marquez.

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/outrageous-hsbc-settlement-proves-the-drug-war-is-a-joke-230696/
"Netflix Series Dirty Money: Cartel Bank"