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© KYODOJapan to give $1 bil. in assistance to help children: Kishida
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garymalmgren
What is an SDG?
Yubaru
While I applaud the donation to help children, I wonder how much Kishida and Abe plan on "donating" to the children and families living in poverty here in Japan as well?
Aly Rustom
Shouldn't that money be spent combating poverty in Japan first?
Yubaru
Sustainable Development Goals, a part of Save the Children program. Yeah the "translator" here missed again.
http://www.savechildren.or.jp/lp/sdgs/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIu9mDgLKR1QIVTn-9Ch3t-wC0EAAYASAAEgJ1w_D_BwE
kazetsukai
UN is a facade to take money from countries while filtering it through their system for their own profit before spending on the actual need. No different from the current Red Cross and Salvation Army. Good in name and public appeal but beneficial?
I would rather see Japan go directly to countries and give actual assistance and not aid for that money. Publicity and politics is not worth the money, especially with the UN.
WA4TKG
This is absolutely PATHETIC considering the recent JT article stating 1 in 6 / 9 ? Children in Japan are living in Poverty.
Alfie Noakes
All very nice PR but one wonders at the mixed messages being sent. One in seven Japanese children live in poverty and don't have enough to eat, while the government is apparently trying to starve North Korea to death.
Lin Kobayashi's school may be a good thing but it's very expensive and there aren't many students.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/05/31/national/karuizawa-boarding-school-touts-international-diversity-hard-truths/#.WW1Fu1HraUk
Anything that helps impoverished children in war-torn areas is to be welcomed but there seems to be a lot of waffle about logos, Piko Taro, cutting-edge blah blah and squarely addressing stuff here and not much about exactly how much money is going where.
Dukeleto
So a $1000,000,000 to the UN of which the kids will actually see exactly how much after all the fat cats have siphoned off the majority. So how much for child day care centres so mothers who want to get back to work to pay for these generous pledges! Honestly, how can a government elected for a four year period be allowed to smack out a billion dollars of tax payers money, while the country is complaining about its huge debt and inability to provide for the health of its aging citizens in a stagnant economy. Can someone explain this to me please. The only explanation that could make any sense is that either the amount has been misreported or they have absolutely no intention of delivering this amount of money and it's just a grand standing excercise.
Dan Lewis
Priorities, Japan. Do you have them?
Yusuke Ohkawa
You know a lot of you talk about poverty in Japan and how we should fix the internal problems first. but Poverty in Japan versus poverty in 3rd rule countries are different. Let me tell you about my family (Mom, my sister, and I myself) we were marked as poverty family because my mom made less than 2K a month. but that was on purpose because if we get marked as poverty, full rent was funded by the government which was 1K a month. I also know a family (mom & Daughter) + some guy living in the same house. They did not get married because they knew that if they get married they would not be able to take the full "poverty welfare package". So basically there is a mom + guy (dad of the daughter) in the family working full-time and taking advantage of the poverty system. So NO I do not think Abe should take care of the poverty issue in Japan because that's the main issue why this country is in so much debt. seriously this country is way too generous.
commanteer
This will do nothing for kids in Japan, and very little elsewhere once it goes through the UN money-grinder. It was the result of a shakedown by the UN, which recently criticized child hunger in Japan. Now they have been paid off, and will keep quiet about it. Disgusting all around.
Goodlucktoyou
so he wants to be our next PM after Abes bad tummy troubles? where can we get a good leader who cares?
Goodlucktoyou
@dukeleto Usually NGO's spend up to 60% on administration costs. not sure about the UN, but they have pretty nice buildings, SUV's and five star hotel meetings. just saying.
Disillusioned
"Nero fiddled while Rome burned." That 1 billion bucks would go a long way towards increasing family subsidies and addressing the child care crisis within Japan, don't you think?
gogogo
Is any going to Japan? 1 in 6 Japanese children live in poverty! What a farce!
Read the facts:
http://www.tokyoweekender.com/2017/05/japans-hidden-crisis-1-6-children-living-relative-poverty/
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/02/24/national/social-issues/20-tokyo-households-kids-facing-economic-hardships-poll/#.WW1d1YiGOUk
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/17/japans-rising-child-poverty-exposes-truth-behind-two-decades-of-economic-decline
http://www.dw.com/en/japan-a-wealthy-nation-with-poor-children/a-36875397
gokai_wo_maneku
I hope the UN sends some of that money to Japan to help the increasing number of children growing up in poverty here.
borscht
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are based on the earlier Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that were started in 2000 with 15-year goals. The MDGs were very successful to moderate, depending on country.
From: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/Goal_1_fs.pdf
Goal One was to reduce poverty & hunger worldwide. The result:
Being as successful in the next 15 years will be more difficult because the more extreme cases still exist.
Japan contributed $500 million in 2000 in order to make the world a better place to live for people on the lowest rung of the economic ladder.
For those wanting the money spent in Japan rather than on "outsiders"
From http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2011/09/25/national/media-national/welfare-system-not-faring-well/#.WW1pEMaB2V4
Japan spends
KhalMans
Spending the money in Japan as some of you suggest is not possible politically, it means admitting that the system has failed then people will ask how come Japan with all its economic might has poverty.
Tom Denk
Greetings from Japan, Okinawa with the highest Childpoverty, lowest income in Japan ( to keep them at your heels ) ... and where the Gov. forcefully destroys one of the most beautiful beach / ocean area ( ...so much for "protecting the planet")
We will have to see if Okinawa (or Japan in general ) sees a penny from the $1 bil, or it goes to the pockets of some politican overseas, for the propagana news.
Yubaru
Japan dumps billions upon trillions of yen in the the economy but what is there to show for it beyond an astronomical debt?
The government will tell you (with a straight face too) that there is plenty of money being spend on social welfare programs, that take care of the children and families living in poverty.
Which, as is proven by the fact that those living at or under the poverty level are increasing yearly, which is all a bunch of BS.
Goodlucktoyou
@borscht. 1.3 billion live on $1.25 a day. world population is increasing, the parameters to define a decrease are abstract. i can't believe that there is such a decline, especially based on figures produced by the WB.
1990=$1 a day. now they say $1.90. how do they survive? ever seen the boats leaving Libya?
drlucifer
Good for the camera, good for the PR
kohakuebisu
As borscht points out, huge reductions in absolute poverty have been made worldwide. It's something that should be celebrated more. Whether it's connected to UN programs, I can't say. Some of it will definitely be down to economic development in China, India, Brazil, Bangladesh etc. Across Asia, child mortality and average births per woman have also fallen drastically, so that the population in Asia is pretty much stable and not growing. I think there is causation between these factors, but won't speculate on how much here. fwiw, population is only really increasing in Africa, the world's poorest continent.
This donation is likely to be Japan buying global influence rather than philanthropy. Because it's going through the UN, I also doubt how effectively the money will be targeted (Piko Taro??). In addition to the issue of child poverty in Japan, Japan famously spends little by OECD standards on children, so it's only natural for people to question or resent money being sent overseas. This is a shame because Japan is a rich country and can (should be able to) afford it.
KhalMans
US$1 Billion is a lot of money & 40% of it will be spent on administrative work, this how UN works. Some Japanese NGO has better record than UN in improving life's in Africa & Indonesia.
mulan
Just $1 billion? How many children in this world where Japan also is a part of it? How many billions more Does Japan spend on killing weapons ?
toshiko
USA sunsets Japan will begin reducing to buy US debt bonds. China already stopped buying.
toshiko
Some countries in the world have been suffering from lengthy wars. Japan is not responsible for these wars but Abe gov't may be thinking donating some money is cheaper than joining war. Peace Constitution will not be changed anyway.
toshiko
It is cheaper than joining American wars.