Read the complete current issue or browse abstracts and articles below.

On the High Road? International Trade and the Belt and Road Initiative in Vietnam and Rwanda

By MacKenzie Burgoyne

This article explores the recent international trade dynamics in Rwanda and Vietnam, two developing countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Headed by China, the BRI is a global infrastructure development project with participants in South America, Africa, Asia, and Europe that has large implications for current and future global trade. The BRI is no stranger to trade and diplomacy debates and has accusations of ulterior debt-trapping motives. This article will study the state of globalization and trade in Rwanda and Vietnam, with the BRI as an important trade and development ethics application in terms of new investment and accelerated infrastructure expansion which will however not benefit everybody equally.

Read the full article: On the High Road?

Differing Neighbors:
Gender Inequality and Fertility in Chile and Bolivia

By Amelia Keeton

This article explores gender inequality in Chile and Bolivia. The two neighboring countries are at very different places in their development journeys. Chile is broadly considered the most developed nation in South America, while Bolivia continues to grapple with high levels of poverty and considerably lower levels of measurable development. Despite Chile’s development progress, gaps in educational attainment and employment for women remain and the country faces issues with broader gender equality. Bolivia has similar gender-based gaps. This article analyzes how both countries have tried to remedy this inequality and proposes ideas for moving forward. The author concludes that the cultural differences in both countries require any solution to be specific to the social norms and practices of the country in which they are applied.

Read the full article: Gender Inequality and Fertility in Chile and Bolivia

Fighting Poverty in Brazil and Morocco:
Addressing the Lack of Opportunities

By Casey Lateef

This article examines the poverty crisis facing both Brazil and Morocco. Although these countries have vastly different geographical locations and sizes, both Brazil and Morocco combat many of the same issues, the primary of which is poverty. Brazil’s poverty is a product of its severe economic inequality, as the country has the second highest income concentration in their top one percent in the world. Poverty in Morocco is primarily due to the rural location of their poorest citizens. This has led to this population lacking access to basic resources such as health care and education. As a result, nearly a quarter of their adult population is illiterate. This article will go into some depth regarding the respective situations of these countries and how they can overcome their different struggles with poverty.

Read the full article: Fighting Poverty in Brazil and Morocco

Child Poverty and Child Labor in Cambodia and Uganda:
Degree, Impact and Policies

By Abby Stuckrath

This article examines the impact of child labor in Uganda and Cambodia, an everlasting issue perpetuated by the lack of governmental response and historical human rights violations. This article analyzes the history of child labor in these two countries, how the countries’ governments have attempted to solve the issues, and why this issue persists. The article discusses how Uganda and Cambodia must find a new perspective and take a new initiative towards preventing child labor. It also examines how child sex work, which is one of the worst work children do in Cambodia and Uganda, is inconsistent with various approaches of ethical decision making.

Read the full article: Child Poverty and Child Labor in Cambodia and Uganda