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How is Caracas an agent of social Justice? Caracas is Latin for love and compassion, two qualities which are essential to their work. For over 110 years, Caracas has worked towards the creation of a Just world and it grew to become one of the world’s largest humanitarian agencies. It’s a Catholic Agency for International Aid Development and began in Australia in 1964. One major part that Caracas works in is Latin America, they focus on Bolivia, Brazil, El Salvador, Haiti and Peru. Bolivia is one of Latin America’s poorest nations. It is landlocked in South America stretching from the central Andes to the Amazon basin.
Bolivia has history of internal conflicts, dictatorship and tensions between indigenous and non-indigenous populations. Caracas Australia’s programs in Bolivia promote economic development, ecological sustainability and human rights in both urban and rural communities. Life expectancy in Bolivia is 67; low compared to other countries in Latin America. The maternal mortality rate is the highest among countries in Latin America; it is more than three times higher than Brazil. The mortality rate in Bolivia sight increased between 2008 and 2011; over this time rates in other developing countries saw improvement.
The difficulties facing Boliviano indigenous and rural communities are widespread deforestation, erosion and poor land fertility. Yet the country’s varied geography makes it one of the most biodiversity countries in the world. The valuable asset represents an opportunity for the development of rural communities, so long as it is managed sustain-ably. Caracas Australia implemented five projects in Bolivia through four local partners in 2010 and 2011. More than 340 000 dollars was spent on a variety of issues including disaster risk reduction, emergencies, food security ND sustainable agriculture.
Brazier’s fast and very successful economic development has made it the center of Latin America. However, funding for health care and secondary education was an expense for this expansion. Brazil has plenty of natural resources and has undergone massive growth in industrial and agricultural economics. Although the government has pledged to achieve social reforms and decrease poverty; there are huge issues that still remain, for example: income distribution, economic inequalities, regional inequality and crime.
There are 95 percent of children that attend primary school; however, this does drops to Just 42 percent for boys and 50 percent for girls in secondary school. Individual states control secondary schools and poorer states are consequently left without decent funding. Poverty is especially common among Indigenous groups in northern Brazil. Infant mortality here is twice the national average and access to safe drinking water is twice as scarce. Brazil was one of the first developing countries to provide free HIVE/AIDS drug therapy and run widespread awareness campaigns.
It has halved the number of HIVE/AIDS related deaths since the id-asses, although there are still people currently affected. Through Caracas’ local partner Caracas Australia, they have placed 1 project in Brazil in 2010/2011. A total of 53,1 collars was spent on a Peace Dulling Ana Reconciliation projects El Salvador has encountered a long history of violence, crime poverty and interrupted development. The civil war that happened in 1980-1992 badly affected the nation’s development. Sixteen thousand people were murdered between 2003 and 2007 alone, and El Salvador has the world’s highest murder rate of 71 homicides per 100,000 citizens. Percent of children have also been abused in their homes. Crime and violence in El Salvador has disrupted access to education, basic healthcare and opportunities for employment, especially for the poor. 2 dollars a day is what more than 40 per cent of the population are living on. El Salvador, however, has seen a very big improvement in poverty rates. In 1991, 66 percent of Salvadoran lived in poverty compared to 37 percent today. The government has also introduced a $461 million anti-poverty campaign to improve education, public services, small business opportunities and transportation infrastructure for over 850,000 people.
El Salvador suffers from earthquakes, cyclones and regular flooding. A string of severe Earthquakes in 1991 killed 1,200 people, destroyed 300,000 houses and left 1 million homeless. Caracas Australia has 1 project in El Salvador, for HIVE/AIDS, 116, 395 dollars was spent on this project. The third deadliest earthquake hit Haiti in January 2010, leaving more than 200,000 dead and a further 600,000 injured or homeless. Haiti is the least developed country in Latin America. The 2010 earthquake was the worst in the region for 200 years and left Haiti completely reliant on international aid.
The country is still recovering from the earthquake’s effects while malnutrition, lack of education and a variety of diseases are endemic. Haiti also has the highest rate of HIVE/AIDS in Latin America, with over 190,000 people affected. Poor education, poverty and little access to Anti- retrovirus drugs have impaired this problem. 78 per cent of Haitian live on less than 2 dollars a day and two-thirds of Haitian live below the poverty line and are unemployed. Just 20 percent of Haitian children attend primary school and less than 2 percent graduate from secondary school.
Forty-two percent of children under the age of 5 suffer from moderate to severe stunting as a result of malnutrition. Haiti also suffers from annual storms, with four hurricanes in 2008 affecting over 800,000 people. Through 3 local partners Caracas Australia has 4 ongoing projects in Haiti in 2010/2011. A total of 1. 9 million Australian dollars was spent on a variety of issues including Housing Reconstruction, Water and Sanitation Health, business and bookkeeping. Further funding was sent to Haiti in 2012. 2 per cent of the population in Peru are living on less than 2 dollars a day; It is one f the poorest nations in South America. Although Peer’s economy got through the Global Financial Crisis better than most South American nations, the government nevertheless reduced funding for a range of poverty reduction initiatives. Peruvians in the poor remote rural areas received the worst part of spending cuts. Active economic growth has helped address a range of social issues. Between 2005 and 2010, employment rates have increased, poverty has decreased from 49 percent to 31 percent and malnutrition from 29 percent to 23 percent.
Despite these big changes, ten economic Detentes AT I s development are stall yet to reach most AT ten poorest and most vulnerable groups. Hepatitis A, typhoid, malaria, dengue fever and yellow fever are the most common diseases in Peru. 93,000 people are living with HIVE and/or AIDS and this rate is rising. In 2007, an earthquake killed more than 500 people and destroyed housing and infrastructure affecting 500,000 more. Caracas Australia implemented 4 projects in Peru in 2010 and 2011. A total of 309,061 dollars was spent on projects covering a variety of issues including Education, Basic Health, Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture.
Caracas has done a considerable amount for the five countries listed. They have and still are improving education, poverty, health, the environment, violence, corruption and so much more. They work in a variety of undeveloped countries all over the world, helping with a number of issues they face every day. They have certain values and morals they follow, so the common good of individuals and humanity can unite. Treating people with dignity is the center of their concerns and that is most commonly done not only by sharing their skills, talent and money, but also their humanity.