The Peak of Human Development

The United Nations, an organization that works around the world, deals with anything and everything international.  Although their program's efficacy remains somewhat controversial, they have done a lot of work categorizing countries based on a variety of calculations.  One such example is the United Nations Development Program's Human Development Index.  

If all the world's countries competed in a challenge to see who was the over-all "best," this index would aid in judging the grand competition.   What would countries have to pay attention to in order to win? Well, the three main areas are health, knowledge, and the level of standard of living in each country.  The level of health is based on life expectancy, knowledge is inferred from literacy rates of adults, and the standard of living is calculated from GDP per capita.  All in all, these three categories tell a lot about a country's developmental status.  

Let the Competition begin!

According to statistics gathered in 2008, 75 countries have been classified as "High Human Development" countries, 79 as "Medium Human Development," and 25 as "Low Human Development" countries.  The number one country, earning an HDI score of .968, on the list is the European country of Iceland. Looking at these standings from a geographical standpoint, it is interesting to note almost all of the Western nations from our world are on the "High" list, including the United States and many European countries. This shouldn't surprise anyone who remembers that the West has used "germs, guns, and steel" to their advantage, just ask Jarred Diamond.  The "Medium" countries vary from region to region, many countries are from Eastern Europe and Asia.  And, alas, as there must be a "Low Human Development" category, you might wonder where these 25 countries lie in our vast world. Well, all of these 25 countries, thats 100%, each and every one of them, is located in Sub-Saharan Africa.  

Included on this list is Rwanda, with literacy rating about 38% and life expectancy only around 45. Further more, Rwanda's GDP per capita is a minute $819 (The GDP for the United States is over $43,000). With the recent violent in Rwanda in the 90's, it isn't very surprising that the country's development has been so poor, earning it the HDI score of .435.

The overall country with the lowest human development is the African country of Sierra Leon. 

Its GDP is only about $600, its probability of not surviving to age of forty is above 45%, and about 40% of its citizens do not even have access to improved water.  Sierra Leon's overall HDI score is a meager .329. The United State's score is .951.

It is strange to categorize how developed a country really is because of how different each of them are from each other. The customs and culture of Sierra Leon are dramatically different from that of the United States.  Could that affect each country's attitude toward "development"? I think that it very well could, especially dealing with the tribal countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, many of whom do not hold literacy rates in high regard.  This could affect the extremely low score of this region as a whole, but even the tribes of Africa value a high life expectancy and clean water.  

The main reason that this region probably ranks so low on this HDI is because of government.  Although I remain somewhat naive on this subject, I do know that the corruption of many Sub-Saharan governments exceeds that of other region's governments quite a bit.  A corrupt government does not reap benefits for its people, usually just havoc and despair. 

I do not pretend to believe that this Index judges the overall "happiness" of each country, that would be preposterous.  Of course, there certainly is a lot of angst in the Sub-Saharan African region caused by tribal boundaries contrasting with the transitional borders of nations and vernacular regions set up from colonization.  However, the Sub-Saharan Africans must remember the words of Isaiah: "The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.  You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail" (chapter 58 verse 11).  

God's promise of love, manifesting in Jesus' sacrifice, is to all the nations, no matter what color they are, what language they speak, or where their people live.  He is the one comfort that all humans can run to when there is hardship.  When the people of our wonderful word look for strength in Him, they become "developed" to the fullest extent.  In our Savior Jesus Christ's love, the human race can truly cross over from death to life, which is a development higher standards of living can never bring. 

Jesus won the competition for us all!

Shenanigans Abroad

What is better than spending the day with your best friend in an unforgettable city? Maybe throw in a break for espresso, of course! These photos I have selected from the National Geographic site are from the Rome.   Italy is an enthralling place--its history, architecture, art, cuisine, and people!

I think that this first scene is the epitome of the quintessential Roman experience.  I looked at this photo and decided that these two were probably Italian, out in the hustle and bustle of their home city Rome.  There is something interesting about looking at a photo strangers, but from it you can learn a lot.

An Italian, urban lifestyle, displayed in this photo, is so different from the life I’ve lived in the United States.  These girls are obviously comfortable navigating around their beloved city of Rome.  I like that the photographer

 selected a black and white finish for these chic ladies, though I’m sure they and the trendy shops behind them are flooded with color.  I can’t wait until I get to go to Italy and see all of this in person!

And, I just had to include this second picture because it is also taken in Rome.  An Italian sips her espresso in a outdoor cafe.  Just as the girls from the motorbike, this kind of special Roman experience is something that makes our world wonderful!  I rejoice that God has given us these different ways to just relax, be with friends, and experience the city around us--even in Rome.  

"So Near And Yet So Foreign"

The United States has had less than friendly ties with the Communist country Cuba for sometime now.  The last time I  heard of United States citizens traveling to Cuba as tourists was on an old I Love Lucy TV show, probably about the same era of this travel poster I have included.  

There is not only a travel ban between America and Cuba, but also a trade embargo.  The United States ended trade with Cuba back when it became under the communist dominion of Fidel Castro, in 1959.  There were not only anxious relations between the USA and Cuba, but also the Soviet Union, which was also Communist in the days of the Cold War.   Unlike the USSR, Cuba has survived as a communist nation into the twenty-first century.  

Today, with so many Hispanic immigrants, tolerance, and globalization, some think it seems silly to keep things with Cuba tied off.  (Come on, USA, just loosen up and be nice to your neighbors to the south!) That's what our new President, Barack Obama, thinks.  A new Bill introduced to the Senate, which he supports, would do just that.  

I think that the United States much stand on the principles which our founding fathers should on as well.  We are a nation of free people, Lady Liberty stands tall from our shore.  A Democratic nation, like the United States of America, should not acknowledge a extreme left, Communist country as they should not give their heart-felt support to terrorist groups.  Each group hinders the people of their country, causing more damage, instead of building a brighter future.  The relations with Cuba should change when the people have the freedom to change their government.  

I am so excited for the day when the Cuban people can praise God for the disbandment of their Communist Government.  I think that our world is wonderful in the fact that it is ever changing and that there are always people around the world trying to make it better.  I pray to God that the activities and diplomacy of United States and Cuba will reflect His glorious desires for this world.

Las Problemas de Nuestro Vecino: Mexico

www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,491964,00.html

There has been more and more violence occurring with our Neighbors to the South.  According to this Fox News article, written by Joshua Rett Miller, the deaths due to drug violence last year was over 5,000.  These deaths occur mostly near the US/Mexico border, along the Rio Grande, where there are many Maquiladores and cities like Juarez.  These cities are the paths by which the drugs flow across the border into the United States.  

The violence is beginning to escalate because according to Miller "the Felipe Caleron administration is doing the right thing by cracking down on powerful drug cartels...who are fighting back."  Mexico is facing a possible economic collapse, incurring following turmoil akin to what Somalia is going through at this time.  This would be the worst case senario.  But if it did happen, then the US would see even more migrants pour across the Rio Grande, to escape violence.  US Governmental officials are getting ready for anything at this point, according to the article. 

It is difficult for me to express how God is good and the world is wonderful as I read this article about our Hispanic brothers and sisters going through tough times.  This article especially makes me sad because I have been planning on going to Juarez on a Mission Trip to build houses for people living in the Squatter Settlements near the Maquiladores...but that is looking like it will not be able to happen.  It also is terrible that the people have been affected by the dangers of drug trafficking and violence and bribery and hate.  Where is God during all of this?

He is in Mexico, in the people who are planning on helping possible refugees, in the people who are praying. God is in Mexico, even if it seems like the Devil's side is winning.  The wonderful thing about this situation, is that the LORD Jesus Christ has already conquered all the forces working evil in Mexico.  I am still praying that this will be calmed so that I will be able to work for Jesus down in Juarez...but more importantly so that the people in Mexico will have peace in their lives, peace in their surroundings and in their hearts from God. 

 

All Around the World-

The map-generating website is so cool! After spending way too long going from category to category looking at the variety of maps, I chose to explore how the Lutheran Church is spread across the globe. It's wonderful that God's truth can be spread throughout the nations, through Church outreach, like that of the Lutheran Church. This world map is awesome because it not only shows the way a piece of culture, like a religion, can spread through out the world, but also the mighty work of the Holy Spirit!

One thing that suprised me was the size of North Eastern Europe as well as Central to Southern Africa. I knew that there were many coptic Christians in Ehtiopia, and this map reflects that there are Lutherans there as well. It is interesting to see the large size of Scandanavia and Germany, because a lot of my and other Lutheran's ancestory goes back to this area of Europe. I was especially excited to see that there are even some Brothers and Sisters in Christ in Northern Africa, which to my understanding has been dominated by Islam for centuries.

Do not misunderstand me, the Lutheran Church is not the only people of God. This type of Christianity is merely part of the believers on this earth. I wanted to choose a map that I could identify with, and being Lutheran this is very intersting to me.

I also have a passion for missions and want to pursue some type of ministry in the Hispanic world in the future. I know that Latin America is predominantly Catholic, but I didn't know that there were so few Lutherans there. As Professor Helmer stated that there is a German population in Brazil, it would make sense that there are also some Lutherans there, as the map shows.

This map reminds me that the mission field is everywhere, not just in Guatemala or China, but also in the United States of America. Although our country seems very large on this map, that doesn't mean that our culture is not plagued with sin or unbelief. We must be Christ's Ambassadors to all as we live our lives, everyday.

Pyramids from Around the World

One thing I have been pondering lately, is how absolutely wonderful this world that God gave us is, thus came the title for this blog.  It is an eclectic, amalgamation of varying cultures and beautiful places, along with the dominating human race, the common presence throughout the world.  But people from alternate parts of the world differ almost as much as the places in which they are live.  Population size varies tremendously from country to country, but we often disregard the reasons for these fluctuations.  Well, at least I have never thought about it before now.  However, lately I have learned that you can infer a lot about a country from its population pyramid. 

For example, a country's population often reflects the status of its development

.  The UN has defined 14 countries as LDCs, or Least Developed Countries.  The countries in this category have been defined so because of three specific reasons.  These include th

e low-income criterion, the human capital status criterion, and the economic vulnerability criterion.  A country must meet each of these factors in order to be categorized as an LDC.  Specifically in reference to the human capital status criterion, LDCs have low populations, below 75 million people.  What is more interesting about this LDC categorization is that the population pyramids of said LDCs are shaped in unusual manners, differing profusely from the MDCs of this wonderful world.  

The below Population Pyramids are from two very contrasting countries of Sudan, one of the LDCs from Central Africa, and Spain, MDC from the Iberian Peninsula.  Their pyramids, therefore, are extremely different.

Sudan has been a country subject to terrible civil wars in the past decade.  The war has also included mass killings of the native African tribes by the Islamic government, especially in the region known as Darfur.  Another problem in this bleak country is the Aids epidemic, which has brought death to many, many people as well.  All of these deaths have made the life expectancy rate drop dramatically. As the pyramid reflects, there is only a small percentage of the elderly or even middle-aged adults.  Since, Sudan has the characteristics of the LDCs, it is a very agricultural country and not very urbanized.  Sudanese families live in very bucolic, agrarian areas, and work the land to sustain their life and raise money.  

The families need a lot of children to do manual labor, which is why the lower levels of the pyram

id are so large.  LDCs are characterized by having a majority of the population in the low

er parts of the pyramids.  Although this part of the pyramid does widen, infant mortality is a problem for all LDCs.  But there

 are enough youths in Sudan to influence the Population Pyramid's vast base.  Sudan's Population Pyramid is that 

of a typical LDC.

Spain's Population Pyramid differs as much from Sudan's as does these countries' other characteristics.  Spain, having a wealthy economy and higher-standard of living, has a population pyramid similar to most other MDCs.  This western European country is urban and has a strong economy, especially when compared with Sudan.  This means better educational systems, better governmental systems, and better hospitals.  The Spanish, as a result, living longer and wealthier lives.  They are not in need of great numbers of children to help raise an income for their families, as the Sudanese.  As a result of compact and expensive urban living, the Spanish have smaller families, maybe only one of two children if any.  The population might even decrease in the next couple of decades because of a lower TFR, even though some people of this country live to be as old as 90 to 100.  The standard of living in an MDC produces a population of less children and more adults than that of an LDC, which is evident from comparing the Population Pyramids of Sudan and Spain.

Writing about the hardships of LDCs makes it a challenge to add to my point that this world is wonderful.  Yes, the people of Sudan suffer daily- and our world is wonderful!  It looks terrible to write that...but in fact, that is the point I am trying to make with this blog.  Although Sin has inundated God's creation, including people, He does still reign over all of it.  Jesus' presence on this world is the reason I can still confidently call it wonderful! 

"The brother of humble circumstances should boast in his exaltation; but the one who is rich [should boast] in his humiliation, because he will pass away like a flower of the field.  For the sun rises with its scorching heat and dries up the grass; its flower falls off, and its beautiful appearance is destroyed.  In the same way, the rich man will wither away while pursuing his activities.  Blessed is a man who endures trials, because when he passes the test he will receive the crow of life that He has promised to those who love Him." -James 1:9-12

This pericope goes along with my point.  Jesus has blessed those who endure trials.  Sudan is blessed.  This is the hope that truly makes this world wonderful-- a wonderful place to wait for His promised crown of life! 

We have this hope because Jesus lives.

Girdwood

If you talk to anybody who has visited Alaska, they will probably tell of its wild and majestic beauty.  Living there, I am continually reminded of God's amazing power by glimpsing the awesome scenery that surrounds me.  

Snow-capped, jagged mountains are my favorite type of landscape and I have been no place more beautiful than the area around the town of Girdwood, Alaska. But it's not just the sight of the rainforest trees silhouetted against wintry mountains that keeps me coming back.

The song "My Favorite Things" from the sound of music comes to mind as I ponder what makes Girdwood interesting, because it really does have all of my favorite things.  Coffee shops, snow, friends, and best of all: skiing.  The Alyeska ski resort, located in Girdwood, attracts skier from all over Alaska and even the world.  The culture in Girdwood is rich with Native Alaskan traditions, skiing/winter sports, and the love of the earth God gave us.  One thing that I love especially about Girdwood is that the people are easy-going, goggle-tanned ski bums, people who really make an effort to enjoy the wonders God has bestowed upon Alaska. 

The picture set as the back

ground for this blog is a picture I took last year from the top of Mt. Alyeska, my favorite place.  It was my winter oasis, where I escaped every other week during my high school years in Alaska. Strapping on my K2s and hitting the black-diamonds with my friends are some of my fondest memories, memories I will cherish forever. 

For a video of skiers at Alyeska visit:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ8eNqftSNs