South Sudan is the most recently formalized country in the world. The predominantly Christian south separated from the Arab north in 2011, which was a victory for many southern soldiers and people. Unfortunately, the south’s triumphs did not last long. Civil War and famine have impacted South Sudan’s ability to grow as a country, with nearly 60% of the country on the brink of starvation. Listen to this story to hear about the many struggles the South Sudanese face, and hear from others who still have hope.
Story Length: 4:44
Socrative users can import these questions using the following code: SOC-1234
August 22, 2017
4:36
Paul Kagame has been in power in Rwanda for nearly two decades. Kagame is a national hero, leading a rebel army that ousted the government and put an end to the Rwandan genocide in 1994. While Rwanda boasts a healthy democracy and strong support for Kagame, opposing candidates claim that Rwandans are simply scared of their government. Citing examples of rhetoric used against his political opponents, critics hope to bring light to his authoritarianism. Listen to this story to hear about Kagame’s rise to power, his rival candidates, and the future of Rwanda.
Note: Soon after this story originally aired, Kagame won the presidential election
Read MoreMarch 13, 2017
3:50
South Sudan is currently struggling with both drought and an ongoing civil war. These forces have led to a rising food shortage crisis that the United Nations is now calling a famine. Four million people are without sufficient food, and the U.N. warns that another million people will be affected in the coming months. Unfortunately, the international community has been unable to halt the escalation of famine in South Sudan. Listen to learn more about the crisis in South Sudan, and how the international community monitors and responds to famine.
Read MoreDecember 2, 2016
3:42
The United Nations set an ambitious goal of ending extreme poverty and fighting disease by 2030. But a lot of governments and international organizations and researchers still aren't collecting basic statistics. For example, currently over 150 million kids in poor countries have stunted growth, largely due to malnutrition, but there isn’t data about which nutrients available in these countries are most needed to prevent malnutrition. The data gap is especially noticeable when it comes to statistics on girls and women. This makes it hard to prioritize health spending. Listen to this story and debate what can be done to improve data on poverty.
Read More