From heimlich@iti.com Tue Oct 3 15:32:20 1995 Date: Tue, 3 Oct 1995 14:31:51 -0700 (PDT) From: KZPG -Broadcasting population news & views To: Pop lists list , bad-cisnews@ns.us.net, demographic-list@coombs.anu.edu.au, immi@prc.utexas.edu, POPENV-L@info.usaid.gov, PPN@csf.colorado.edu Subject: KZPG-Back: US Prosperity decline data ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 3 Oct 1995 14:27:22 -0700 (PDT) From: KZPG -Broadcasting population news & views At least one person asked me for the data I used to compute the correlation between US prosperity decline and population density. So I've cleaned up my spread sheet a bit and have given you a printout below. It should be fairly self explanatory, but if you have questions please feel free to ask. It's about 150 characters wide, so you may need to learn how to view wider files in your text editor. My spreadsheet is supercalc; sorry for those of you using lotus or excell. It's sorted by 1990 home affordability, but you can easily resort it or ask for another sort if you're interested. !!!Just look at where CALIFORNIA (where I live) is - 2ND LEAST AFFORDABLE STATE IN THE UNION IN WHICH TO BUY A HOME. -- Howard 1980/1990 U.S. Census Analysis Population Density Versis Prosperity ST-FINAL | -------------- Density -------------- | --------- '80-90 afordability gap --------- | ---- Correlation subtotals ---- | Rev 3 |Land | Population | Density | | Mean| Median | Average |(sort)|Wage % of| % |x(i) |y(i) |x(i)-mean| |area | (millions) |(/sq mi) |Pop.| den.|fam. incom|home value | Diff |home val.|diff|minus |minus | times | State |sq/mi| 1980 1990 |1980 1990|gwth| x(i)| 1980 1990| 1980 1990 | 1990 |1980 1990|y(i)|mean square|mean square|y(i)-mean| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Hawaii | 6k| 1.0 1.1| 150 173| 15%| 161| $39k $43k| $203k $271k| $227k| 19% 16%| 3| 1 0k| 2 5| 2| California | 156k| 23.7 29.8| 152 191| 26%| 171| $37k $41k| $157k $231k| $190k| 23% 18%| 6| 11 0k| 5 25| 54| Connecticut | 5k| 3.1 3.3| 641 679| 6%| 660| $40k $49k| $123k $212k| $163k| 32% 23%| 9| 499 249k| 8 64| 3987| Mass. | 8k| 5.7 6.0| 732 768| 5%| 750| $36k $44k| $87k $186k| $141k| 41% 24%| 18| 589 347k| 17 274| 9751| New Jersey | 7k| 7.4 7.7| 993 1042| 5%| 1018| $39k $48k| $108k $184k| $136k| 36% 26%| 10| 857 734k| 9 89| 8074| New York | 47k| 17.6 18.0| 372 381| 2%| 376| $34k $40k| $83k $157k| $117k| 41% 25%| 16| 216 47k| 15 231| 3285| Rhode Island| 1k| .9 1.0| 907 960| 6%| 933| $33k $39k| $84k $153k| $113k| 40% 26%| 14| 773 597k| 13 168| 10030| New Hampshir| 9k| .9 1.1| 103 124| 20%| 113| $34k $42k| $82k $143k| $101k| 41% 29%| 12| -47 2k| 11 116| -510| Maryland | 10k| 4.2 4.8| 431 489| 13%| 460| $39k $45k| $104k $141k| $96k| 38% 32%| 6| 300 90k| 5 27| 1561| Virginia | 40k| 5.3 6.2| 135 156| 16%| 146| $34k $38k| $90k $122k| $84k| 38% 31%| 6| -15 0k| 5 30| -82| Washington | 67k| 4.1 4.9| 62 73| 18%| 68| $37k $37k| $106k $119k| $82k| 35% 31%| 4| -93 9k| 3 11| -303| Delaware | 2k| .6 .7| 304 341| 12%| 322| $36k $40k| $80k $120k| $80k| 45% 33%| 11| 162 26k| 10 106| 1667| Nevada | 110k| .8 1.2| 7 11| 50%| 9| $36k $36k| $124k $115k| $80k| 29% 31%| -2| -151 23k| -3 8| 416| Vermont | 9k| .5 .6| 55 61| 10%| 58| $29k $35k| $72k $110k| $75k| 41% 32%| 9| -102 10k| 8 66| -834| Maine | 31k| 1.1 1.2| 36 40| 9%| 38| $28k $32k| $65k $102k| $70k| 43% 32%| 11| -122 15k| 10 100| -1224| Florida | 54k| 9.7 12.9| 181 240| 33%| 210| $30k $32k| $86k $98k| $66k| 34% 33%| 2| 50 2k| 1 1| 38| Illinois | 56k| 11.4 11.4| 206 206| 0%| 206| $39k $39k| $95k $103k| $64k| 41% 38%| 3| 45 2k| 2 5| 100| Arizona | 114k| 2.7 3.7| 24 32| 35%| 28| $32k $32k| $98k $96k| $63k| 33% 34%| -1| -132 18k| -2 2| 205| Colorado | 104k| 2.9 3.3| 28 32| 14%| 30| $36k $36k| $111k $95k| $59k| 33% 38%| -5| -131 17k| -6 36| 785| Alaska | 570k| .4 .6| 1 1| 37%| 1| $48k $47k| $123k $104k| $57k| 39% 45%| -6| -160 25k| -7 43| 1049| New Mexico | 121k| 1.3 1.5| 11 12| 16%| 12| $29k $28k| $80k $82k| $54k| 36% 34%| 3| -149 22k| 2 2| -235| Georgia | 58k| 5.5 6.5| 94 112| 19%| 103| $30k $34k| $69k $87k| $54k| 43% 38%| 5| -57 3k| 4 16| -232| Pennsylvania| 45k| 11.9 11.9| 265 265| 0%| 265| $34k $35k| $70k $87k| $52k| 49% 40%| 9| 104 11k| 8 66| 851| N. Carolina | 49k| 5.9 6.6| 121 136| 13%| 128| $29k $32k| $66k $79k| $47k| 43% 40%| 3| -32 1k| 2 6| -80| Minnesota | 80k| 4.1 4.4| 51 55| 7%| 53| $36k $37k| $90k $83k| $46k| 40% 44%| -4| -107 12k| -5 27| 560| Utah | 82k| 1.5 1.7| 18 21| 18%| 19| $34k $33k| $102k $80k| $46k| 33% 42%| -8| -141 20k| -9 88| 1326| Oregon | 96k| 2.6 2.8| 27 30| 8%| 29| $34k $32k| $100k $79k| $46k| 34% 41%| -7| -132 17k| -8 63| 1050| S. Carolina | 30k| 3.1 3.5| 104 116| 12%| 110| $29k $31k| $65k $74k| $43k| 45% 42%| 3| -51 3k| 2 5| -116| Texas | 262k| 14.2 17.0| 54 65| 19%| 60| $34k $32k| $75k $74k| $42k| 45% 43%| 2| -101 10k| 1 0| -70| Tennessee | 41k| 4.6 4.9| 111 118| 6%| 115| $28k $30k| $66k $70k| $41k| 43% 42%| 1| -46 2k| 0 0| -3| Louisiana | 44k| 4.2 4.2| 97 97| 0%| 97| $31k $26k| $79k $67k| $41k| 39% 39%| 0| -64 4k| -1 1| 71| Ohio | 41k| 10.8 10.8| 264 265| 0%| 264| $36k $34k| $80k $74k| $40k| 45% 46%| -1| 104 11k| -2 6| -245| Missouri | 69k| 4.9 5.1| 71 74| 4%| 73| $32k $32k| $67k $71k| $40k| 48% 45%| 3| -88 8k| 2 4| -176| Idaho | 83k| .9 1.0| 11 12| 7%| 12| $30k $29k| $80k $67k| $38k| 37% 44%| -7| -149 22k| -8 58| 1135| Michigan | 57k| 9.3 9.3| 163 164| 0%| 163| $38k $37k| $72k $73k| $37k| 52% 50%| 2| 3 0k| 1 2| 4| Wisconsin | 54k| 4.7 4.9| 87 90| 4%| 88| $36k $35k| $84k $71k| $36k| 42% 49%| -7| -72 5k| -8 59| 553| Alabama | 51k| 3.9 4.0| 77 80| 4%| 78| $28k $29k| $63k $64k| $35k| 44% 45%| 0| -82 7k| -1 2| 116| Wyoming | 97k| .5 .5| 5 5| -3%| 5| $38k $32k| $100k $67k| $35k| 38% 48%| -9| -156 24k| -10 109| 1623| Montana | 146k| .8 .8| 5 5| 2%| 5| $31k $28k| $77k $61k| $33k| 41% 46%| -5| -155 24k| -6 37| 946| Kentucky | 40k| 3.7 3.7| 92 93| 1%| 92| $28k $27k| $62k $60k| $33k| 45% 45%| 0| -68 5k| -1 1| 75| Mississippi | 47k| 2.5 2.6| 54 55| 2%| 54| $25k $24k| $59k $54k| $30k| 43% 45%| -3| -106 11k| -4 13| 385| Arkansas | 52k| 2.3 2.4| 44 45| 3%| 45| $25k $25k| $58k $55k| $29k| 43% 46%| -3| -116 13k| -4 16| 458| Indiana | 36k| 5.5 5.5| 153 155| 1%| 154| $35k $34k| $67k $63k| $29k| 52% 54%| -2| -7 0k| -3 7| 17| W. Virginia | 24k| 1.9 1.8| 81 74| -8%| 78| $30k $26k| $68k $55k| $29k| 44% 47%| -3| -83 7k| -4 19| 360| Kansas | 82k| 2.4 2.5| 29 30| 5%| 30| $34k $33k| $69k $62k| $29k| 48% 53%| -5| -131 17k| -6 33| 755| Oklahoma | 69k| 3.0 3.1| 44 46| 4%| 45| $30k $29k| $67k $57k| $28k| 45% 50%| -5| -116 13k| -6 38| 708| N. Dakota | 69k| .7 .6| 9 9| -2%| 9| $31k $29k| $72k $54k| $25k| 43% 54%| -11| -151 23k| -12 133| 1744| Nebraska | 77k| 1.6 1.6| 20 21| 1%| 20| $33k $32k| $66k $56k| $25k| 49% 56%| -7| -140 20k| -8 60| 1087| S. Dakota | 76k| .7 .7| 9 9| 1%| 9| $27k $28k| $62k $50k| $22k| 44% 56%| -11| -151 23k| -12 155| 1885| Iowa | 56k| 2.9 2.8| 52 50| -5%| 51| $34k $32k| $70k $52k| $20k| 49% 61%| -12| -110 12k| -13 160| 1387| ====================================================================================================================================| Sum 225.9 248.1 2566k 2595 53992 Average 155 166 9% 161 $33k $34k $86k $98k $63k 41% 40% 1 Correlation of population density & home affordability -----------------------------------------------------------------> .66 ______________________________________________________________________ Notes: A) Two methods of computing a prosperity factor were done: 1) NEW. The .66 factor is computed with the revised method which looks at the difference between the ratio of income to home cost for the 1980/1990 period, i.e. 1990AffordabilityFraction - 1980AffordabilityFraction, or 1990income 1980income ------------ - ------------ = p [prosperity factor] 1990homecost 1980homecost 2) OLD. The .75 factor was computed with the original formula of the difference between the 1980 growth rates, i.e. IncomeGrowth - HomeCostGrowth, or 1990income-1980income 1990homecost-1980homecost --------------------- - ------------------------- = p 1990income 1990homecost B) Currently sorted by 1990 home affordability. C) Data form the Missouri U.S. census gopher server. D) Please direct any comments to Howard@iti.com. ______________________________________________________________________ *** KZPG: broadcasting population related news and views *** Send news, commentary and subscription requests to KZPG@iti.com. Views broadcast don't necessarily represent the views of KZPG or its staff. Not affiliated with ZPG Inc. Equal time given for controversial issues. Voice: 408-255-2422 Fax: 408-255-2436 Web: http://www.iti.com/iti/kzpg/ Feedback appreciated. Editor: Howard Johnson -SJ CA From heimlich@iti.com Thu Oct 5 11:06:29 1995 Date: Thu, 5 Oct 1995 10:06:09 -0700 (PDT) From: KZPG -Broadcasting population news & views To: Pop lists list -- Subject: KZPG-Front: New electronic forum! --- KZPG is pleased to announce "NEFGOD" --- A New (experimental) Electronic Forum for Global Overpopulation Discussions ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * It's like the UseNet, but it's better * It's based on the latest internet technology: a server called HyperNews. HyperNews allows structured linking of information for online discussions. It's sort of a cross between the Web, the UseNet, and email. Basically, you can create topics and others can post responses. Unlike with the UseNet, what you post becomes permanent so we can have some continuity to the discussion. And when someone replies to your post you can decide if you want to be alerted by email so you can respond in a timely fassion. Also you can easily include hyperlinks to other internet resources (pointers that people can click on), as well as graphics. And there's lots of room for categories, so lots of sub-discussions can be going on simultaniously. One thing should be emphasized however, this will not replace the existing KZPG news lists. Rather, I expect this to add to our ability to globally communicate. --- For the moment, you'll need Web access to participate. (I have thoughts for how to get email only subscribers on board, but I'm not ready to try that yet.) If you don't yet have Web access, it's now commercialy available from thousands of ISPs (Internet Service Providers). Here are a few of the bigger ones: America Online, Prodigy, Netcom, and Delphi. If you don't know who to call, ask your friends what service they subscribe to or ask me. --- Now, to get the discussions started, first go to the EnviroForum "overpopulation" topic located at URL address: http://envirolink.org/HyperNews/get/enviroforum/5.html (Note: home page is at: http://envirolink.org/HyperNews/get/enviroforum/) There you'll find the following *initial* structure which I've set up to get us started: OVERPOPULATION: A) READ ME FIRST (a brief intro.) B) PROBLEMS - problems associated with overpopulation C) MORALITY - morality issues of stopping population growth D) SOLUTIONS - strategies and solutions E) MISC - other overpopulation discussion sub-issues Here are the categories and sub-categories in detail: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- A) READ ME FIRST (a brief intro.) B) PROBLEMS 1) Economic issues - category for discussion of the economic problems associated with population growth. 2) Environmental issues - category for discussion of environmental problems associated with population growth. 3) Human rights issues - category for discussion of human rights problems associated with population growth. 4) Public health issues - category for discussion of public health problems associated with population growth. 5) Civil security issues - category for discussion of civil security problems associated with population growth, (i.e. crime, political instability, loss of democracy, etc.) C) MORALITY 1) Family size issues - category for discussion of morality of family size reduction 2) Immigration issues - category for discussion of the morality of immigration reduction 3) Religious issues - category for discussion of the religious aspects of stopping population growth. D) SOLUTIONS 1) Common solutions - category for discussion of strategies and solutions common to every population reduction effort. 2) International solutions - category for discussion of strategies and solutions for international population reduction efforts. 3) U.S. solutions - category for discussion of strategies and solutions for U.S. population reduction efforts. a) Lower immigration - sub-category (U.S. solutions) b) Smaller families - sub-category "" 4) California solutions - category for discussion of strategies and solutions for California population reduction efforts. a) Lower immigration - sub-category "" b) Smaller families - sub-category "" E) MISC - category for discussion of other overpopulation issues. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- IMPORTANT: If you don't see a category for the topic you want to discuss, then create one. BUT PLEASE, put it in an appropriate place. (I don't really need to say this, but it seems there is always one person who forgets to think first.) Once you've browsed around a little, click on the "Membership" button, fill out the membership form (completely), and then Click on the "Submit" button. Next go to a topic of interest (there are no messages yet) and click on the "reply" button to create a message. (NOTE! Once you submit your message, you may have to refresh the topic page if local cashing is active to be able to see new post. - otherwise you will just see what you saw before. I expect this will be fixed in future versions of the Web.) If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to write. We're going to learn this together, but I've used it enough now to see that it works and that we need it. I should caution you, however, this is an experiment and we won't know the full measure of it's worth until we try it. Finally, special thanks goes to the people at EnviroLinks for their help in getting this server in place for us to use. Very Best Regards -- Howard. ______________________________________________________________________ *** KZPG: broadcasting population related news and views *** Send news, commentary and subscription requests to KZPG@iti.com. Views broadcast don't necessarily represent the views of KZPG or its staff. Not affiliated with ZPG Inc. Equal time given for controversial issues. Voice: 408-255-2422 Fax: 408-255-2436 Web: http://www.iti.com/iti/kzpg/ Feedback appreciated. Editor: Howard Johnson -SJ CA From rcincotta@usaid.gov Sat Oct 7 22:02:55 1995 Date: Sun, 8 Oct 95 0:02:00 -24000 To: From: "Richard Cincotta" Subject: ...no subject... A S I A - P A C I F I C P O P U L A T I O N & P O L I C Y July-August 1995 Number 35 THE HIV/AIDS EPIDEMIC IN THAILAND: ADDRESSING THE IMPACT ON CHILDREN KEYWORDS AIDS infection rates child prostitutes orphans children pediatric AIDS counseling Thailand HIV treatment ----------------------------------------------------------------- In less than a decade, the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Thailand has grown from a handful of infections to a major public health threat. Gaining a foothold in injection drug users and commercial sex workers, HIV quickly spread to a wider population of adult males, from them to their wives and partners, and ultimately to their children. The result is a general population epidemic with wide-ranging medical, social, and economic consequences. The direct effects on children are already obvious. By the end of 1994, 16,000 HIV-infected children had been born, and tens of thousands of child prostitutes and street children were at risk of infection. By the turn of the century, more than one million Thai children will have at least one HIV-infected parent. Some of these children will be orphaned by the disease; others may be abandoned by infected parents. The extent of such problems in the future depends in large parton the action taken today. To help provide an information base for sound policy decisions, the Program on AIDS of the Thai Red Cross Society and the East-West Center's Program on Population recently prepared a report entitled "The impact of HIV on children in Thailand." Save the Children Fund, United Kingdom, contributed financial support. The report takes a critical look at the current situation, estimates the magnitude of futureproblems, and recommends policy responses. This issue of Asia-Pacific Population & Policy summarizes the report's majorfindings. THE CURRENT SITUATION By the end of 1994, about 840,000 Thais had been infected with HIV. The highest infection rates were in northern Thailand, with considerable variation among provinces (Figure 1). More than two-thirds of those infected were men: in 1993, the HIV infection level in 21-year-old males was close to 30 percent in some northern provinces. In the country as a whole, more than 20,000 pregnant women who attended antenatal clinics in 1994 were positive for HIV -- an infection rate of 2 percent for this group. In some northern provinces, the infection rate among pregnant women was more than 10 percent. In one provincial capital, Chiangmai, people with AIDS occupied one-third of all hospital beds. Children infected with HIV/AIDS Records from Thai hospitals indicate that between 26 and 42 percent of pregnant women who are infected with HIV transmit the virus to their unborn children. This would imply that 5,100 to 8,400 infected children were born in 1994 alone. Apart from children infected at birth, the second group of children most vulnerable to HIV are those living in difficult circumstances. These include street children, children living inslums, children of minority populations, and Thailand's 30,000 to 40,000 child prostitutes. For several reasons, HIV prevalence among child prostitutes may be higher than the 30 percent currently estimated for adult female sex workers. Young girls maybe biologically more susceptible than adults to infection; they are also less able to insist that their clients use condoms. Interviews conducted by the Thai Red Cross Society's Program on AIDS found that child prostitutes and street children had heard of AIDS, but most had little understanding of the disease. HIV generally develops into AIDS more quickly in young children than in adults. Records from one Thai hospital showed that about 20 percent of infants infected at birth progressed to AIDS within 15 months. Survival time after a diagnosis of clinical AIDS is usually short: most Thai children who develop AIDS die within four months. Infected children often benefit from treatment with AZT, but many Thai doctors fail to prescribe the drug for children. Counseling services are inadequate at many hospitals, and some medical workers refuse to care for HIV-infected patients, including children. The high mobility of Thai patient populations also makes the long-term care of infected children particularly difficult. Children with HIV-infected parents In 1994, 205,000 children under the age of 15 had mothers infected with HIV (Figure 2). Another 10,000 children had lost their mothers to AIDS. Many of these children had also lost their fathers. The financial impact of illness and death can devastate a household. Studies indicate that an adult dying of AIDS in Thailand is ill for an average of eight months. During this time the family spends about half of its current annual income on medical care. As an adult family member becomes too ill to work, the household may see its income drop by half or more. Children may be forced to leave school to look after relatives, or money for their education may be diverted to health care. Pressure may also increase for children to work outside the home. Such a situation strongly favors the exploitation of child labor and could lead to child prostitution. Children of HIV-positive parents also experience discrimination in many social and institutional settings. Families may be shunned and children driven out of school. Relatives may be unwilling to look after children whose parents have died, particularly if the children are also infected with HIV, and such children may be rejected by orphanages. PROJECTED IMPACTS With technical assistance from the East-West Center, the Thai government's National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) has projected the prevalence of HIV in the Thai population through 2005. These projections have been used to estimate HIV and AIDS infections among children as well as the number of children who will be affected by AIDS in the adult population. The baseline NESDB projections show that almost one million Thais will be infected with HIV in 2005, or 1.5 percent of a total population of 65 million. Another 800,000 will have died of AIDS. Of these totals, 84,000 infants and young children will have died, and 18,000 will be infected. By 2005, 160,000 children under 15 -- including 17,000 under 5 --will have lost their mothers to AIDS. Another 330,000 children under 15 will have mothers infected with HIV. Even larger numbers of children will have had to cope with the illness or death of their fathers. If everyone with AIDS seeks medical care, annual hospital costs will be US$40 million by the turn of the century. One result of this diversion of funds may be a drop in Thailand's primary and secondary school enrollment, currently one of the highest in Southeast Asia. POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS Thailand has several advantages as it faces the difficulties that lie ahead: a tradition of family and community care for orphans, a good public health infrastructure, an active national AIDS program, and low fertility. With sound planning and early action, the Thai government and community organizations may be able to reduce the number of infected and affected children and minimize the HIV-associated problems they face. Preventing infection Clearly, the best approach to the problems that HIV and AIDS create for children is primary prevention--keeping parents and children from becoming infected. Training courses in communities, factories, and schools can provide young men and women with the social and decision-making skills they need to protect themselves from infection. Promotion of voluntary premarital testing can help reduce HIV transmission between spouses, and anonymous testing services can increase the likelihood that men and women who are already infected will take measures to protect their partners. Programs to prevent mothers with HIV from infecting their children should include nondirective counseling on futurere productive options, provision of AZT to pregnant women to reduce mother-to-child transmission, and provision of infant formula to mothers along with advice not to breastfeed. Improving counseling Integrated reproductive health services should be introduced in all hospitals, antenatal clinics, and district (tambon) health centers. These should combine the traditionally separate functions of family planning, sexually transmitted disease (STD)testing and treatment, pregnancy care, HIV testing and treatment, and counseling. The focus on district health centers is particularly important to improve services to Thailand's large rural population. More aggressive testing, treatment, and follow-up of STDs is important because such infections greatly facilitate the transmission of HIV. Couples with HIV need to be counseled on future reproductive decisions, care of infected children, and how to provide for their children after the parents' deaths. Addressing child prostitution The issue of child prostitution has received considerable media coverage in Thailand. Focus groups interviewed by the Thai Red Cross Society's Program on AIDS suggested that legal efforts to eliminate child prostitution will attract greater popular support if they concentrate on punishing brothel owners, agents who bring children into prostitution, and parents who sell their daughters --rather than on punishing clients. Media campaigns should dissuade men from visiting child prostitutes and should encourage citizens to report violations of the child-prostitution laws. One important policy change that would strengthen efforts to end child prostitution would be to eliminate the three-year gap between compulsory schooling and entry into the job market. Today most Thai children complete primary school when they are 12 years old, but they cannot legally work until they are 15. The government is gradually implementing a requirement for three years of secondary schooling, but these efforts must be accelerated. In addition, many of the children at risk of becoming child prostitutes will need financial support if they are to continue their education. In particular, scholarship programs for rural Thai girls should be expanded. Helping children in difficult circumstances Street children and children who live in slum areas are atconsiderable risk of HIV infection. They need HIV/AIDS education,condoms, and reproductive health services in easily accessible street settings. In addition, expanded vocational training, social and health services, and safe housing can help reduce their vulnerability. Addressing the needs of street children will become even more critical as their numbers swell with the addition of children orphaned by AIDS. Reducing discrimination Steps to reduce discrimination against families living with HIV are a critical aspect of Thailand's efforts to cope with the epidemic. A multifaceted approach should include legislation to protect the rights of people living with HIV to housing, employment, education, and health care. Media efforts should shift from fear campaigns to messages that encourage support and compassion. Schools and businesses should be encouraged to implement humane staffing and admissions policies, and traditional leaders--such as village headmen, teachers, and monks--should be enlisted as models. Schools will need to assume new roles in educating children about HIV/AIDS and providing social and psychological support to affected children. Improving medical treatment Even with better prevention, the number of Thai children infected with HIV will increase over the next 10 years. Health agencies should distribute a set of locally relevant guidelines for the diagnosis of pediatric AIDS and the inexpensive treatment of opportunistic infections. Families need guidelines on home care for infected children, on the importance of regular medical follow-up, and on identification of symptoms or illnesses that require prompt medical treatment. Health agencies need to normalize HIV treatment in medical settings, emphasizing universal precautions to protect healthworkers and their patients without stigmatizing those infected with HIV. They also need to improve the continuity of care for HIV-positive mothers and children. Finally, a system of nationwide data collection on pediatric AIDS, maternal HIV, and treatment of infected children would help anticipate future health-care needs. Providing for AIDS orphans In Thailand, abandoned children and orphans have traditionally been absorbed into the family network. Parents infected with HIV need to plan for their children's future, including strengthening their children's ties with other relatives. Traditional systems of integrating orphans into the community should be revitalized and new systems developed, such as day-care centers with expanded night care for children in need. Existing programs for adoption and fostering should be strengthened, and institutional care should be enhanced to handle the medical and psychological needs of children affected by HIV. Finally, affected children need support to maintain their access to education. This might include subsidies, day care for younger siblings, or vocational programs with opportunities to earn an income. CONCLUSIONS Thailand has the advantage of going into the HIV/AIDS epidemic with its eyes wide open. No other country has had as complete a monitoring system or as early a warning of the problems to come. Some of the policies recommended here are new approaches that require testing in the field; others are existing efforts thatcan be strengthened and expanded to attain regional or national coverage. None of this can be accomplished by any one agency or group alone. It will take the shared commitment, ideas, resources, and efforts of all sectors of society to plan for the future needs ofchildren affected by HIV, to protect them from infection, and to provide them with the social and economic support, medical treatment, and legal protection they urgently need. This issue of Asia-Pacific Population & Policy is based on:Tim Brown and Werasit Sittitrai. 1995. "The impact of HIV onchildren in Thailand." Program on AIDS, Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIGURES Photograph of a poster produced by the Program on AIDS, Thai Red Cross Society. Caption: "`I have AIDS--hug me.' HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns in Thailand are shifting from fear tactics to a greater emphasis on compassion." Figure 1. Percentage of women attending antenatal clinics by province who were HIV-positive as of December 1993. Figure 2. Living children under 15 years old whose mothers arepositive for HIV or have died of AIDS: recent trends and projections.[The photograph and the two figures from the printed version of this publication cannot be reproduced in this text document (see below for ordering information).] ----------------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT THE SERIES Asia-Pacific Population & Policy, published since 1987, summarizes research on population and reproductive health for policymakers and others concerned with the Asia-Pacific region. The Office of Population of the United States Agency for International Development provides support for this publication under a cooperative agreement with the Program on Population of the East-West Center. Writers: Tim Brown and Werasit Sittitrai Series Editor: Sidney B. Westley Graphic Artist: Russell Fujita Editorial Committee: Philip Estermann Andrew Kantner Karen Oppenheim Mason James Palmore Robert D. Retherford Sandra E. Ward ISSN 0891-6683 CORRESPONDENCE To request a printed copy of this issue, or to obtain a free subscription to Asia-Pacific Population & Policy, contact us at the address below. You may also request copies of previous issues. East-West Center Program on Population 1777 East-West Road Honolulu, HI 96848, USA Telephone: (808) 944-7482 Fax: (808) 944-7490 E-mail: POPPUBS@EWC.BITNET From rcincotta@usaid.gov Sat Oct 7 22:13:42 1995 Date: Sat, 7 Oct 1995 22:13:40 -0600 To: From: "Richard Cincotta" Subject: EWCPOP REPORT / Situation of Women in Asia Forwarded to: Internet[ppn@csf.colorado.edu] cc: Comments by: Richard Cincotta@G.PHN.POP@AIDW -------------------------- [Original Message] ------------------------- A S I A - P A C I F I C P O P U L A T I O N R E S E A R C H A B S T R A C T S Number 6, September 1995 IS THE SITUATION OF WOMEN IN ASIA IMPROVING OR DETERIORATING? Karen Oppenheim Mason with the assistance of Amy Cardamone, Jill Holdren, and Leah Retherford KEY WORDS age at marriage sociocultural norms India Singapore economic development son preference Indonesia South Korea education unpaid labor Japan Sri Lanka employment violence against women Malaysia Taiwan family systems Bangladesh Nepal Thailand literacy China Pakistan political participation Hong Kong Philippines Observers disagree about the impact of economic development on women's situation under various historical conditions. One group argues that development enhances the status of women by improving their access to resources, increasing their autonomy and power, and benefiting their general well-being. An opposing viewpoint is that any apparent advances in women's situation under development are illusory or offset by a deterioration in other aspects of women's status. Proponents of this view cite women's lack of political power, legal barriers to full social and economic participation, differences between men and women in occupational status and pay levels, a loss of control over agricultural resources, and high levels of violence against women in economically advanced societies. Using several indicators of status, this Research Report assesses women's situation, especially in relation to men, in a variety of economic and cultural settings found within Asia. Where possible, it describes how their situation has changed during the last three to four decades and notes whether any tendency toward improvement of degradation can be observed according to a society's development level. In East and South Asia, patriarchal family systems that emphasize the male line of descent have historically given women little autonomy or power. In Southeast Asia, where there is a more equal emphasis on male and female lines of descent and the conjugal unit has greater importance, women have been treated more equally. These cultural differences, combined with varying degrees of economic development, have produced very different situations for women within individual subregions and countries. Three indicators of women's access to the means of obtaining desirable outcomes in their lives include education and literacy levels, employment status and occupation, and women's age at marriage. Two key indicators of whether women have actually achieved desirable outcomes include their health and longevity and, as an indicator of the value of males versus females in a society, women's sex preferences for children. The evidence reviewed in this report indicates that despite economic development, a society's sociocultural traditions can have an enduring impact onwomen's situation. Nevertheless, economic development does appear to improve their status overall by encouraging or enabling the educational advancement of females, the movement of women, and improvements in women's health and life expectancy. With these changes have come new problems for women, such as the feminization of the aged with longer female life expectancy. In most parts of Asia, however, women today appear to be better off than their counterparts of 20-30 years ago, and their situation has improved in relation to that of men. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE SERIES Asia-Pacific Population Research Abstracts are based on Asia-Pacific Population Research Reports, which provide an informative discussion ofresearch on important population issues facing the Asia-Pacific region. Published several times a year with support from the Office of Population, U.S. Agency for International Development, Research Reports are intended for social and health scientists, policymakers, program managers, and the interested public. Series editor: Sandra E. Ward THE AUTHORS Karen Oppenheim Mason is a senior fellow in the Program on Population of the East-West Center and an affiliate graduate faculty in sociology at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. Her recent research has concentrated on gender issues and demographic change and on changes in the family. Amy Cardamone, Jill Holdren, and Leah Retherford were research assistantsin the Program on Population when this report was prepared. PUBLICATION FACTS Is the situation of women in Asia improving or deteriorating? Asia-Pacific Population Research Reports, No. 6 September 1995, 20 pp. ISSN 1079-0284 TO REQUEST A COPY: East-West Center Publication Sales Office 1777 East-West RoadHonolulu, HI 96848 U.S.A. E-mail: EWCBOOKS@EWC.BITNET Telephone: (808) 944-7145 Fax: (808) 944-7376 ALSO AVAILABLE IN THIS SERIES No. 1, Asia's recent fertility decline and prospects for future demographic changes, by Ronald Freedman. January 1995. No. 2, Scenarios for the AIDS epidemic in Asia, by James Chin. February 1995. No. 3, How Japan and the newly industrialized economies of Asia are responding to labor scarcity, by John G. Bauer. March 1995. No. 4, Aging in Asia: Setting the research foundation, by Albert I. Hermalin. April 1995. No. 5, What can we say about fertility trends in Bangladesh? An evaluation of the 1991 population census, by Andrew Kantner, Charles Lerman, and Mohammed Yusuf. June 1995. FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE EAST-WEST CENTER'S POPULATION ACTIVITIES: East-West CenterProgram on Population 1777 East-West Road Honolulu, HI 96848 U.S.A.E-mail: POP@EWC.BITNET Telephone: (808) 944-7471 Fax: (808) 944-7490 From heimlich@iti.com Sun Oct 8 12:46:42 1995 Date: Sun, 8 Oct 1995 11:46:25 -0700 (PDT) From: KZPG -Broadcasting population news & views To: Pop lists list -- Subject: KZPG-Front: ZPG Still looking Someone recently gave KZPG a copy of the job description for the position of Executive Director of ZPG Inc. Apparently the position is still open. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you want a copy please let me know. (Note: you'll have to send me a SASE because it's too long to type up.) -- Howard@iti.com ______________________________________________________________________ *** KZPG: broadcasting population related news and views *** Send news, commentary and subscription requests to KZPG@iti.com. Views broadcast don't necessarily represent the views of KZPG or its staff. Not affiliated with ZPG Inc. Equal time given for controversial issues. Voice: 408-255-2422 Fax: 408-255-2436 Web: http://www.iti.com/iti/kzpg/ Feedback appreciated. Editor: Howard Johnson -SJ CA From heimlich@iti.com Tue Oct 10 15:34:55 1995 Date: Tue, 10 Oct 1995 14:30:51 -0700 (PDT) From: KZPG -Broadcasting population news & views To: K40 KZPG Opinion & Editorials page -- Subject: KZPG-OpEd: The population race card Editor's opinion: I'm uncomfortable about the following article I recently received from a dedicated population activists, (who's name I won't mention to protect her from any unintended embarrassment). I'm sure she sent it with the best of intentions - not thinking it would make me so uncomfortable. The reason I've decided to forward it, is to use it make a point. Here are the first few lines of the article: > HISPANIC POPULATION GROWTH OUTPACES ALL OTHERS > > Washington, D.C./Miami - The nation's Hispanic population continues to > grow faster than the total, according to a new statistical brief being > > [... Full text is at bottom of this post.] So what's the problem with it? Seems like pretty ordinary stuff from a demographer, doesn't it? What if you received an article from a group wanting less people as follows: > - the world is overpopulated - > WHITES POPULATION GROWTH OUTPACES ALL OTHERS > (breeding like rabbits) I've exaggerated it a bit so you wouldn't miss the point. Laugh out of loud if you need to, but what this says to me is that someone thinks we are bad people just because of our skin color. I hate to say this, but this is a prime example of a racist headline. And because population is our issue, if we hope not to be labeled racist, we need to stomp out headlines (and articles) like this one. Perhaps we've just so used to seeing stuff like this, that we don't even think about it anymore. But I ask you, what would a Hispanic, Black, or Jew think? Would they shudder or laugh out of nervousness as you did? --- So what do we do with the race issue, (or the "race card" as it's now commonly called)? Do we just not talk about it? Do we simply preface any articles with a statement saying that we love people of every skin color, sort of like a warning label? And what do we do about the U.S. Census Bureau who is putting out stuff like this? --- I think instead of skin color, we need to focus on demographic variables which really matter, like the level of education, the average family income and family size, population density, languages spoken and country of origin, religion, average commute distance and average home value, and perhaps the age of first pregnancy. Furthermore, I think we need to send articles like this one back to their author with a message such as this, explaining why their article is inappropriate and racist. --- But I'm open to your thinking on this issue. Perhaps I'm over-sensitive from the OJ verdict. Perhaps Hispanic's, Blacks, Jews and Whites aren't as sensitive as I think. What's your view? Sincerely, -- Howard Johnson P.S. It also bothers me when the news reports, that for instance "three black people were killed". Isn't it more important how old they were, where they lived, and whether they had a family? What's so important about their skin color? Can't journalists stop this media racism? --- complete article --- The statistical brief, "The Nation's Hispanic Population - 1994" Public Information Office 301-457-3030 301-457-4067 (TDD) Debbie Niner 301-457-2403 HISPANIC POPULATION GROWTH OUTPACES ALL OTHERS Washington, D.C./Miami - The nation's Hispanic population continues to grow faster than the total, according to a new statistical brief being released by the Commerce Department's Census Bureau for National Hispanic Heritage Month. The statistical brief, "The Nation's Hispanic Population - 1994" (SB/95-25) is available in English and Spanish and contains information about the Hispanic population on topics including education, health insurance, income, and poverty status. This brief contains data released earlier this year from the March 1994 Current Population Survey and will also be available via the Census Bureau's web site (http://www.census.gov/ftp /pub/apsd/www/statbrief/). -X- Editor's note: media representatives may obtain a copy of the brief from the Census Bureau's Public Information Office on 301-457-3030; fax: 301-457-3670; or e-mail: pio@census.gov; or Fax-on-Demand at 301-457-4178, Document No. 1095, and Document No. 1096 (Spanish Language). Non-media orders should be directed to the bureau's FastFax on 1-900-555-2FAX (there is a nominal fee); Customer Services Office on 301-763-4100 or fax: 301-457-3842. --- end --- ______________________________________________________________________ *** KZPG: broadcasting population related news and views *** Send news, commentary and subscription requests to KZPG@iti.com. Views broadcast don't necessarily represent the views of KZPG or its staff. Not affiliated with ZPG Inc. Equal time given for controversial issues. Voice: 408-255-2422 Fax: 408-255-2436 Web: http://www.iti.com/iti/kzpg/ Feedback appreciated. Editor: Howard Johnson -SJ CA From rcincotta@usaid.gov Fri Oct 20 05:32:07 1995 Date: Fri, 20 Oct 95 07:23:01 EDT To: , From: "G.PHN.POP.PE" Subject: Press Clips-- Oct. 19 X-Incognito-Sn: 643 X-Incognito-Format: VERSION=2.01a ENCRYPTED=NO Forwarded to: Internet[POPENV-L@INFO.USAID.GOV] Internet[ppn@csf.colorado.edu] cc: Comments by: Richard Cincotta@G.PHN.POP@AIDW -------------------------- [Original Message] ------------------------- India's population plan falls short - survey By Nelson Graves NEW DELHI, Oct 19 (Reuter) - India's unrelenting emphasis on female sterilisation as a means of birth control is hampering efforts to rein in rampant population growth, according to a path-breaking study released on Thursday. The National Family Health Survey said India, the second most populous nation behind China with about 925 million people, had made strides in curbing both child birth and mortality, but remained far from its goal of stabilising population growth. Described by a diplomat as India's largest social science survey, the study was conducted in 1992-93 and covered nearly 90,000 married women aged 13 to 49. In an unusual twist, the survey gives a state-by-state snapshot, underscoring glaring regional disparities, with the north lagging in many respects behind the south. Funded by a $3.5 million grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development, the survey paints a disturbing picture of India's family health policies. It underscores widespread ignorance of both the Acquired Immono-Difficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and modern contraceptive methods, and concludes that 30 million Indian couples use no birth control even though they want no more children or wish to space out births. It also highlights the plight of girls, who die at an alarmingly higher rate than boys, apparently because of a stubborn preference among many couples for boys. The survey concludes that "women's status in India is still poor." The central conclusion relates to India's efforts to control its population, which at current rates will exceed one billion by 2000 and surpass China by 2035. Fertility has fallen to about four children per woman in the early 1990s from five in 1980. But many women say they are having more children than they would like, and in the most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, women continue to have about five children on average. "Fertility levels will need to decline dramatically to reach the country's long-term goal of two children per woman," it said. If all unwanted pregnancies were eliminated, India's population would nearly stabilise, it added. But only four in 10 women practice family planning. Fully two thirds of those resort to sterilisation -- an irreversible method which has been the method of choice among Indian policy makers for two decades. One quarter of the women had never heard of the pill, Inter-uterine Devices (IUDs) or condoms. The survey said that in 11 of 13 states where women were asked about AIDS, the majority said that they had never heard of it. In Assam state, only eight percent knew of it. "If the AIDS virus continues spreading at current rates, an estimated five million persons in India will be infected by the year 2000," it said. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates 1.5 million Indians are currently infected by the HIV virus, which causes AIDS. Half of Indian children under four are undernourished. While infant mortality rates have declined 22 percent in the past decade, one in every 13 children dies within its first year, the survey said. The risk of dying between ages one and five is 43 percent higher for girls than boys. "Many couples prefer boys over girls and are more likely to take their sons than their daughters for medical treatment when they are ill," it said. "The country is doing poorly in the provision and utilisation of health care services," it said. "These findings reveal the magnitude of the task ahead for India in improving the quality of life of its population." From 23274MJC@MSU.EDU Fri Oct 20 19:59:09 1995 Date: Fri, 20 Oct 95 21:57 EDT To: ppn@CSF.COLORADO.EDU From: "Michael.Chamberland" <23274MJC@MSU.EDU> Subject: Re: Press Clips > India's population plan falls short - survey By Nelson Graves NEW DELHI, > Oct 19 (Reuter) - India's unrelenting emphasis on female sterilisation as a > means of birth control is hampering efforts to rein in rampant population > growth, according to a path-breaking study released on Thursday. The I do not understand this statement. Does it suggest that female sterilization is not effective in combatting India's population growth? Why not? > births. It also highlights the plight of girls, who die at an alarmingly > higher rate than boys, apparently because of a stubborn preference among man > couples for boys. The survey concludes that "women's status in India is stil > poor." The central conclusion relates to India's efforts to control its Isn't there a chemical or physical technique which can select for Y-chromosome sperm? How costly and effective is this technique? If such a method could be made available to cultures which prefer male children, it could allow them to produce the male children they want. Discrimination? Yes, but I'd say that discrimination against X-chromosome sperm is preferable to discrimination against unwanted children. Fewer women in the population could ultimately result in slower population growth, and might not a shortage of women make the culture place a higher value on them? Michael Chamberland From rcincotta@usaid.gov Sat Oct 21 12:03:04 1995 Date: Sat, 21 Oct 95 13:53:55 EDT To: From: "G.PHN.POP.DIR" Subject: World Population Awareness Week X-Incognito-Sn: 643 X-Incognito-Format: VERSION=2.01a ENCRYPTED=NO Forwarded to: Internet[ppn@csf.colorado.edu] cc: Comments by: Richard Cincotta@G.PHN.POP@AIDW SUBJECT: WORLD POPULATION AWARENESS WEEK -------------------------- [Original Message] ------------------------- October 22 - 29 has been proclaimed "World Population Awareness Week" (by 32 states, 45 countries, and 120 organizations). The Population Institute held a kickoff event with the theme of "Gender Equality" yesterday on the Hill. Here are some highlights. Congresswoman Connie Morella:  Mentioned the piece of legislation that she, Cong. Beilenson, Sen. Bingaman and Sen. Simpson introduced as a model for population legislation.  Emphasized that population, women's issues and the environment are all tied together. Senator Kerry:  Reminded us that with the ascendency of the new Congress we are going backwards from the progress that was made in 1994.  Stated how critical it is that the US do its part as a world leader and how dishartening it is that some of his collegues are fighting such common sense themes.  90% of population growth is in LDCs. The resonse is woefully inadequate in comparison to the need. We are way behind.  "My collegues have to feel the pressure or there won't be change." Hugo Hoogenboom (PAI):  FP must be responsive to the needs/concerns of women. - No coercion, targets, quotas - Male involvement  Women must be offered choices beyon childbearing - education - economic opportunity It's a win-win proposition. Karen Kala (Sierra Club):  Thanked Congressional leaders for staying the course; thanked Tim Wirth and Brian Atwood for carrying the message around the world (only speaker to mention Wirth, Atwood or USAID); thanked those in the field for making it happen every day.  Spoke about the linkages between population growth, food production, water supplies, environment, sanitation and health. Sounded the alarm about the declining per capita food production and reminded the audience that there are no political boundaries to these problems. Other speakers: Jane Harvey (United Methodist Church), Karen Wrin (Planned Parenthood), Lester Brown (President, World Watch), Werner Fornos (President, Population Institute. Global Media Awards were presented to:  The Futures Group International for it's innovative multi-media campaigns in Sub-Saharan Africa (SOMARC project)  WorldWatch Magazine for Best Periodical. HAVE A NICE WORLD POPULATION AWARENESS WEEK!!! From dummy@emf.net Sat Oct 21 12:15:27 1995 From: dummy@emf.net Date: Sat, 21 Oct 1995 11:15:12 -0700 In-Reply-To: "Michael.Chamberland"'s message as of Oct 20, 9:57pm To: PROGRESSIVE POPULATION NETWORK Subject: Re: Press Clips Old-From: robertb@barra.com > From: "Michael.Chamberland" <23274MJC@MSU.EDU> > Date: Fri Oct 20, 9:57pm > . . . Fewer women in the population could ultimately > result in slower population growth, and might not a shortage of women > make the culture place a higher value on them? > > Michael Chamberland This reminds me of the "false scarcity" that capitalism always peddles. For example, the Federal Reserve props up the value of the dollar by increasing interest rates. It can do this because it has a monopoly on the production and maintenance (via selective violence) of the currency. Similarly, a "false scarcity" of women falls right into this sort of thinking -- that the value of girl babies will be propped up by artificially having fewer of them due to their destruction or nonexistence. What will the consequences of this be? Girl babies being traded on a black market? Rich Chinese men buying women? This sort of thinking seems really dangerous, ultimately destructive, and feeds right into the hands of the profiteers. -- Internet: dummy@emf.net In real life: Robert Brown, >> Leonardo da Vinci didn't eat meat. << in sunny Berkeley, CA >> Close the gap: demand a progressive property tax.<< waiting for The Big One ** finger dummy@emf.net for PGP key ** (510) 464-4604 From 23274MJC@MSU.EDU Sat Oct 21 15:10:22 1995 Date: Sat, 21 Oct 95 17:10 EDT To: ppn@CSF.COLORADO.EDU From: "Michael.Chamberland" <23274MJC@MSU.EDU> Subject: Re: Press Clips > > > . . . Fewer women in the population could ultimately > > result in slower population growth, and might not a shortage of women > > make the culture place a higher value on them? > > > > Michael Chamberland > > This reminds me of the "false scarcity" that capitalism always peddles. > For example, the Federal Reserve props up the value of the dollar by > increasing interest rates. It can do this because it has a monopoly on > the production and maintenance (via selective violence) of the currency. > > Similarly, a "false scarcity" of women falls right into this sort of > thinking -- that the value of girl babies will be propped up by > artificially having fewer of them due to their destruction or > nonexistence. What will the consequences of this be? Girl babies being > traded on a black market? Rich Chinese men buying women? This sort of > thinking seems really dangerous, ultimately destructive, and feeds right > into the hands of the profiteers. Dangerous? Sure it is dangerous. The whole idea of slowing population growth, or "population manipulation" can be regarded as dangerous. Population reduction could be used as justification for all kinds of autrocities. On the other hand, a paralysing fear about how ZPG efforts could be perverted can lead to total inaction. But I don't understand. In the scenario you mention, why would there be a black market trade in girl babies or women? Wouldn't this suggest that the culture had turned around and started to value women more? If sperm selection was being used to select for male children, wouldn't the culture just stop doing that? Perhaps these cause-and-effects are impossible to effectively predict? I'm not well versed in the interest rate manipulation you've used as anology. Michael Chamberland From kpeters@rastro.Colorado.EDU Mon Oct 23 13:49:04 1995 Date: Mon, 23 Oct 1995 13:48:52 -0600 (MDT) From: Peters Kimberley To: "Michael.Chamberland" <23274MJC@MSU.EDU> Subject: Re: Press Clips In-Reply-To: <199510212110.PAA04524@csf.Colorado.EDU> > But I don't understand. In the scenario you mention, why would there be a > black market trade in girl babies or women? Wouldn't this suggest that the > culture had turned around and started to value women more? If sperm selection > was being used to select for male children, wouldn't the culture just > stop doing that? Perhaps these cause-and-effects are impossible to > effectively predict? I'm not well versed in the interest rate manipulation > you've used as anology. > > Michael Chamberland > In countries where there are fewer girl babies, women are not valued as much as men are. Even if a country has an official policy stating that women are equal to men, the individual woman or couple may realize that a male child will be there to help them with farming and will be there to support them in their old age, whereas a girl child will cost them money in terms of dowry and then, once married, will move away. Girl babies may not ever get born because of sex selective abortion, and once born, they may actually be killed or just neglected. In this type of society, the women do not have the power to demand that they be treated better. The culture is not going to just turn around and value women. Instead of being viewed as "people" they are viewed as a commodity. I realize, of course that there is much variation between societies, and that this is a rather simplistic answer. Kym Peters From rcincotta@usaid.gov Tue Oct 24 08:48:56 1995 Date: Tue, 24 Oct 95 10:42:41 -24000 To: , , , <74262.3444@compuserve.com>, <72763.1775@compuserve.com>, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , From: "Richard Cincotta" Subject: conference/ Beijing WCW X-Incognito-SN: 643 X-Incognito-Format: VERSION=2.01a ENCRYPTED=NO Center for the Study of the Global South "Beijing: Strategies for Implementation" November 7, 1995 The American University School of International Service 6th Floor Butler Board Room Bender Arena 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC The United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, which met in September 1995 in Beijing, China, and adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, generated much worldwide interest. While the Conference was a landmark in many ways, the challenges posed by its follow-up and implementation, especially for societies of the global South, are both profound and daunting. Southern women want to achieve pragmatic goals: access to credit, basic education for girls, primary health care and a role in policy- and decision-making and the elimination of violence against women. How will the Platform for Action assist them in this endeavor? In the Center's one-day symposium, the outcome of the Beijing Conference will be reviewed and assessed from the perspective of countries of the global South. Specific strategies for implementation will be examined both from a regional and global point of view. PANELS Financial Institutions, the Private Sector and MicroCredit Mobilizing for Implementation in the Arab World: A Case Study Issues of Priority in the Platform for Action SPEAKERS INCLUDE Clovis Maksoud, Director, Center for the Study of the Global South Gertrude Mongella, Secretary-General, Fourth World Conference Haifa Abu Ghazaleh, President General Federation of Jordanian Women Mahnaz Afkhami, Executive Director, Sisterhood is Global Institute Munira Fakhro, Professor, University of Bahrain Marnia Lazreg, Hunter College Waafas Ofosu-Amaah, Consultant, UNDP Catherine Pierce, Executive Coordinator, Task Force on ICPD Implementation, UNFPA May Rihani, Creative Associates Ismail Serageldin, Vice-President for Environmentally Sustainable Development, The World Bank Reservations are required and seating is limited. Reservations can be made by emailing glsouth@american.edu or calling (202) 885-1618 or faxing (202) 885-1186 before November 3, 1995. The registration fee is $20.00 for the general public, $5.00 for area students and free for those holding a valid AU ID. Lunch is available for an additional $5.00. Further information will be provided following registration. The School of International Service is the largest school of International Affairs in the United States. The Center for the Study of the Global South, founded in 1992 and directed by Ambassador Clovis Maksoud, is a multidimensional intellectual resource which examines critical issues affecting the developing countries of the world, increasingly characterized collectively as the South. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Dina Kasrawi dkasraw@american.edu Center for the Study of the Global South The American University 4400 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20016 From jhanson@ilhawaii.net Sat Oct 28 10:36:53 1995 Date: Sat, 28 Oct 1995 06:29:31 -1000 To: sustainable-development@civic.net From: Jay Hanson Subject: RACHEL #465: Sustainable America, Part 2 (fwd) popenv-l@info.usaid.gov, biosph-l@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu, PUBPOL-D Public Policy Open Discussion , PPN@csf.colorado.edu, wht@ilhawaii.net I don't know how many of you have seen RACHEL'S newsletter. Here is the latest issue and it happens to be about sustainable development. In the past, most newsletters have been about toxics in the environment. It is a consistently EXCELLENT newsletter and it is FREE via e-mail. If these topics interest you, I recommend that you subscribe. Jay =======================Electronic Edition======================== .. . .. RACHEL'S ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH WEEKLY #465 . .. ---October 26, 1995--- . .. HEADLINES: . .. A HIGH-WAGE, LOW-WASTE FUTURE--PART 5 . .. SUSTAINABLE AMERICA--PART 2 . .. ========== . .. Environmental Research Foundation . .. P.O. Box 5036, Annapolis, MD 21403 . .. Fax (410) 263-8944; Internet: erf@rachel.clark.net . .. ========== . .. Back issues available by E-mail; to get instructions, send . .. a message with the word INFO in it to INFO@rachel.clark.net; . .. back issues are also available via anonymous ftp from . .. ftp.std.com/periodicals/rachel and from gopher.std.com. . .. Permission to repost, reprint or quote is hereby granted. . .. Subscribe: send E-mail to rachel-weekly-request@world.std.com . .. with the single word SUBSCRIBE in the message. It's free. . ================================================================= A HIGH-WAGE, LOW-WASTE FUTURE--PART 5 SUSTAINABLE AMERICA--PART 2 In the earlier parts of this series (REHW #461, #460, #459, #458),[1] we asked the most basic political question of our time: Does the economy control us, or do we control it? Is the purpose of the economy to promote prosperity with stability, or is it to create wealth for the few at the expense of the many? The so-called "conservative" majority in this Congress has its own answer to that question. As the NEW YORK TIMES pointed out in an editorial this past Sunday, "The Republicans are rushing through Congress the greatest attempt in modern history to reward the wealthy at the expense of the poor." (10/22/95, pg. E12) We think the TIMES is mistaken in blaming only Republicans; Democrats who call themselves "conservative" are snuffling and drooling at the same trough. But the liberals deserve their share of blame as well. In this series, we have seen that the economy is being deliberately restructured along lines we call the "low road"[2] --the choice that seeks profit and increased competitiveness by laying off workers and replacing them with temporaries; by intentionally increasing job insecurity for almost everyone; by reducing the availability of health insurance; by speeding up environmental degradation; by cutting social spending; by reducing regulation; by cutting training; and by reducing taxes on corporations and on the wealthy, shifting the tax burden onto the middle class and the working poor. Both Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and liberals alike, are promoting this low-road restructuring, which cannot lead to either prosperity or stability. Corporations are selling us the low road, saying it is required by 2 factors: globalization of the economy, and increased competition. Globalization is being greatly exaggerated, to give the impression that the economy is now out of our hands. In actual fact, only about 20% of the American economy involves any foreign trade; roughly 80% of the economy is entirely domestic, and these numbers have not changed much since the early 1980s.[3] It is simply not true that globalization is preventing people from having a say in the economy. The second factor that supposedly "requires" us to take the low road is increased competition. Competition HAS increased during the past 20 years as the huge mass-production monoliths (Ford, IBM) have been overtaken by a new industrial regime. The low road is one possible response to competition --to turn the U.S. into a country with wages so low that our workforce can compete head-to-head with workers in Malaysia and the Philippines. Goodbye middle class and goodbye stability. The alternative choice --the "high road" --centers on high-quality competition and the inputs that make such competition possible: worker involvement in decisions; worker training; timely information about new technologies and about markets; economic cooperation between firms, and between firms and communities; moral standards on the treatment of people; environmental standards requiring clean production; high quality public goods (which glue urban society together: schools; hospitals; libraries; mass transit; recreation opportunities, etc.); and the use of state purchasing power, and other public mechanisms, to reward high-roaders and punish low-roaders. We will describe the "high road" approach at another time. For now, let's continue examining the low road. Typical economic development leads to the low road because of six errors, commonly made by both conservatives and liberals: Error 1: Typical economic development promotes job growth without regard for the kind of jobs generated. This does nothing to promote the general welfare, and often actually reduces it. Through competition, new low-wage jobs drag down wages elsewhere. This erodes the overall tax base, leading to cutbacks in needed public services (transportation, libraries, schools, hospitals, etc.), which in turn causes people to move to the suburbs, leading to metropolitan decline, absolute job loss, and all of the social problems linked to a chronically unemployed, uneducated inner-city population. All of which, in turn, confirms the typical view that jobs --any kind of jobs --are what is needed. Error 2: Typical economic development focuses on attracting new businesses rather than retaining and renewing existing ones. Yet the best evidence from the U.S. and abroad shows that metropolitan economies thrive when their core businesses upgrade, or link to one another to realize new economies of "scope," or attract or spin off related businesses, which benefit from being near industry leaders. Upgrading, networking, and incubating local firms, however, requires support in the form of technical assistance, training, and the efficient supply of modern public goods (schools, libraries, etc.). And providing all of these is more difficult, although in the long run far more satisfying, than simply "doing a deal" to attract another Walmart. Error 3: Typical economic development uses generic tax abatements and other fiscal giveaways, rather than targeted breaks and regulation, as magnets for development. Again, the best evidence is that traditional "enterprise zone"-type developments (i.e., tax abatements and other giveaways with no prior conditions on them except perhaps "best efforts" to create X jobs of any kind) simply do not work, and eventually erode a city's fiscal base.[4] The jobs created in a more-or-less fully deregulated economy are seldom high-paying or associated with significant capital investment. On the other hand, there is good evidence that the gradual tightening of control over production --e.g., requiring a livable minimum wage for labor, or curbing toxic emissions --can push business to innovate in ways that improve productivity and improve the quality of community life. The productivity increase is achieved by boosting the cost of factors of production (e.g., increasing wages), thereby creating incentives for their more efficient and productive use. Regulation can be oppressive and inefficient, or it can be the opposite, depending on the match to the problem regulated.[5] But this requires a willingness to impose, from a weak bargaining position, significant costs on business. And it requires a willingness (and the ability) to insulate those same businesses from ruinous competition from non-complying competitors. This is the crucial policy step that most city governments have been unwilling or unable to make --especially when faced with the loss of high-wage jobs caused by Errors 1 and 2, above. Error 4: Typical economic development sees greater public control and accountability as bad for the economy. It proceeds from a largely correct idea that government and the general public (if not workers within the firm) are ill-prepared to tell business how best to achieve goals. However, this correct idea gets carried over into the false assumption that the public is incapable of specifying what our economic goals should be, such as full employment for the able-bodied; decent housing, education, and health care for all; an economy that is not obscenely unfair nor massively wasteful of natural resources. Again, however, all evidence shows that modern economies operate best when they can rely on a fair degree of public support for business goals. Public support for business goals is strongest when the public has significant say in setting those goals. And such public support is especially crucial for the modern production systems that cities should be trying to attract. Here we return to a characteristic weakness of liberalism. Error 5: Typical economic development sees a necessary tradeoff between environmental improvement and jobs. Of course, taking the environment seriously will involve considerable dislocation, resulting from the disruption of many traditional habits of production. But environmental values, like others, can be incorporated into the economy itself. Environmental values should have no effect on the availability of employment at a family-supporting wage. Indeed, the experience of all sorts of metropolitan regions, which once relied on highly polluting industries, suggests that enormous job gains can be reaped by paying serious attention to the market for "green" goods and clean technology. Germany's Ruhr district and Sweden's Smaaland are good examples. And there is compelling evidence that environmental regulation has forced regulated industries to achieve enormous efficiency gains and a raft of profitable spinoff products. To realize any of these gains, however, government and the rest of society must be willing to impose some terms on economic deal-making, while at the same time investing in people's ability to monitor, enforce, and negotiate in the most efficient ways to achieve those values. People's ability to monitor, enforce and negotiate is pretty much taboo to a liberal government, especially one driven to passivity and fear by Errors 1 through 4, above. Error 6: Typical economic development neglects the critical role played by public goods of all kinds --transportation, recreation, education, public safety. Here, local economic development efforts lag behind the learning of many businesses. Many businesses now recognize the importance of easy movement of labor, products, and information; a well-trained workforce; and a nice place to live. These things are important because they help attract highly skilled personnel. Of course, no individual firm wants to pay for these--even though all businesses benefit from them. (Economists call this the 'free rider' problem.) If economic development is seen largely as a firm-by-firm ignore-the-social-cost project, this free-rider problem cannot be solved. But if development is aimed specifically at solving these collective action problems, it can solve them --using state requirements and, even more, by greasing the wheels for private actors. However, to do this, government must be willing to invest directly in popular, cross-firm, coordinating institutions (such as training programs), which liberal governments are often not willing to do. As a result, even conventional investment becomes less likely, given the shrinking tax base of a city that has given up its good jobs through Errors 1 through 5. If typical economic development seems to be a dead end, have we got something better? Yes, and this is what Sustainable America[6] is about. [To be continued.] --Peter Montague =============== [1] All Rachel back issues, and hundreds of other documents, are now available via E-mail; send a one-word E-mail message ("info") to info@rachel.clark.net. [2] Once again, we are relying heavily upon --a euphemism for 'stealing shamelessly from' --Joel Rogers, Joshua Cohen, Dan Luria, Wolfgang Streeck and others. [3] Joel Rogers, Dan Luria, and others, METRO FUTURES: A HIGH-WAGE DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR AMERICA'S CITIES AND INNER SUBURBS; DRAFT OF APRIL, 1995 (Madison, Wisc.: Midwest Consortium on Economic Development Alternatives [phone: 608/263-3889], 1995), pg. 34. [4] Greg LeRoy, NO MORE CANDY STORE. Chicago and Washington D.C.: Federation for Industrial Retention and Renewal (FIRR) and Grassroots Policy Project (GPP), 1994. Available from the Grassroots Policy Project [2040 S Street, N.W., Suite 203, Washington, DC 20009; phone (202) 234-0980] for $24.00. [5] For a review of the varieties of regulation, and a look at more flexible and efficient forms, see Ian Ayres and John Braithwaite, RESPONSIVE REGULATION (New York: Oxford University Press, 1992). [6] To learn about the project, Sustainable America, phone Elaine Gross at (212) 727-4407 or send E-mail to egross@igc.apc.org. Descriptor terms: economic development; economy; wealth; poverty; income distribution; republicans; democrats; global economy; corporations; inner cities; suburbs; technology transfer; taxation; regulation; enterprise zones; wages; minimum wage;