Articles of confederation

Articles of confederation From 1781 to 1789 the Articles of Confederation did not provide the United States with an effective government. The remarkably weak central government provoked a hostile environment within the United States and led to the diminishing of the country politically and economically.Under the Articles of Confederation, tensions in the United States threatened peace and unity. With such a weak and powerless central government, the states acted as individual countries. Numerous states had no choice but to cede land to the federal government. This was the result of the inability of the states to control territories which were too spread out too far. In Document E, it is made apparent that New York had to yield most of its Midwest territory. In 1785, Massachusetts gave up parts of Michigan formally owned by New York four years earlier. If land was not ceded, war would have been a likely result between the states.The Articles of Conferderation, ratified in 1781. ...The Articles established a na tional legislature called the Congress, consisting of two to seven delegates from each state; each state had one vote, according to its size or population. No executive or judicial branches were provided for. Congress was charged with responsibility for conducting foreign relations, declaring war or peace, maintaining an army and navy, settling boundary disputes, establishing and maintaining a postal service, and variouslesser functions.Some of these responsibilities were shared with the states, and in one way or another Congress was dependent upon the cooperation of the states for carrying out any of them. Four visible weaknesses of the articles, apart from those of organization, made it impossible for Congress to execute its constitutional duties.These were analyzed in numbers 15-22 of The FEDERALIST, the political essays in which Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay argued the case for the U.S. CONSTITUTION...

Why Asparagus Makes Your Urine Smell Funny

Why Asparagus Makes Your Urine Smell Funny When you eat asparagus, your urine will smell funny. However, not everyones noses can detect the odor of asparagus pee. The chemical that produces the effect is called asparagusic acid. Asparagusic acid is not volatile, so if you sniff a spear of aparagus, you wont smell anything noteworthy. However, when your body digests asparagus, aspargusic acid is broken down into simpler compounds, which are volatile, so they transfer from urine into the air, where they make their way to your nose so  you can smell them. These compounds  include dimethyl sulfide, dimethyl disulfide, dimethyl sulfone, and  dimethyl sulfoxide. The sulfurous compounds or mercaptans are related to the chemicals that make  skunk spray and rotten eggs  so odious. Asparagus Doesnt Make Everyones Pee Stink While it is believed everyone excretes these compounds in their urine after eating asparagus, somewhere between 22% and 50% of the population lack  the chemoreceptors to detect the funky smell. Also, some people may metabolize asparagusic acid in a way that produces lower quantities of the distinctive-smelling molecules. Whether or not you can smell the distinctive funky odor of asparagus pee depends on your genetics. Inability to smell the chemical results from a single base pair genetic mutation, which is passed on in families.  While you might not consider yourself fortunate if you can smell it, the upside is youre more likely able to smell other sulfurous molecules, which might protect you from toxic chemicals. Learn More What Is the Worst Smelling Chemical?How To Color UrineChemical Composition of Urine

Short story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Short story - Essay Example Conversely, Sarty seeks freedom from the life that the family lived. In this case, the road to Sarty’s independence from his father’s grip is a way of seeking individual fulfillment. Hence, Faulkner’s book typifies the American culture, as this expose will posit, while focusing on Barn Burning. To begin with, Faulkner indicates that, Sarty’s father had a â€Å"wolflike independence and even courage when advantage was at least neutral, which impressed strangers† (Faulkner 476). In this case, this is a clear depiction of the American culture of individual fulfillment. By depicting Snopes, Sarty’s father as independent and courageous, Faulkner underlines the importance of independence, which leads to individual fulfillment since he is able to achieve satisfaction although he ends hurting his family. In this regard, it is only through being independent and courageous that an individual acquires self-fulfillment. In the American society, being ind ependent and having courage typifies an individual who has attained self-fulfillment. Conflicts and violence surround Sarty’s life, which leads to an overwhelming fear, grief, and despair. In effect, Sarty seeks to attain peace in order to be free from these turbulent emotions (Faulkner). Therefore, this typifies the American culture of seeking individual fulfillment from turbulent emotions such as grief, fear, and despair, which engulf an individual. Throughout the story, it is evident that Sarty struggles with despair, grief, and fear due to his family’s demands on one side. On the other hand, he develops an opinion towards morality, which is contrary to the family’s views and demands. In line with this, Faulkner's book is significant in typifying the American culture of individual fulfillment whereby an individual seeks to map their own path different from that of the family depending on their ideas of right and wrong. Peace, joy, and dignity are the most imp ortant appealing aspects of a different life for Sarty, which is not available in the Snopes’ household. In effect, this is significant since it exemplifies the American culture whereby individuals work towards finding dignity, joy, and peaceful coexistence with each other in their daily lives. In addition, achieving dignity, peace, and joy is crucial towards the path of individual fulfillment. For this reason, achievement of peace, joy, and dignity signifies the American dream that people all over the world seek to experience and hence come into the country as they seek individual fulfillment. Faulkner illustrates that an individual can achieve fulfillment through different ways. One of this ways, and perhaps one of the most important way that typify the American culture, is through bringing honor and intensifying family ties. Case in point, as the Snopes’ leave the courtroom following their father’s case, a boy who accused Abner of being a barnburner hits Sart y who confronted the boy, and consequently bloodying his face. In a way, the blood that dried and caked on Sarty face represents a sense of individual fulfillment that he had defended the family’s honor regardless of the cost (Faulkner 477). In a similar way, the American culture realizes that the family is the most important thing in life, and it comes under substantial cost. Hence, to defend the family against outsiders brings forth individual fulfil

Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients is Illegal and Unnecessary Essay

Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients is Illegal and Unnecessary - Essay Example Employees are required to prove their innocence while showing no outward signs of using illegal drugs. Many would say that violates not only the U.S. Constitution but the precepts of any free society. A more egregious example of an overzealous drug policy is the recent growing trend to require welfare recipients, residents of public housing and other forms of public assistance to be tested for drugs prior to receiving assistance. These policies do not save money or lower the rate of drug use. What they do is oppress and humiliate the most vulnerable of society, the poor and minorities, and constitute a considerable and unwarranted invasion of privacy. At the heart of this passionate political debate are demeaning and inaccurate portrayals of people who â€Å"typically† receive welfare, characterizations that are not supported by evidence. One such stereotype is of the drug or alcohol addicted â€Å"welfare queen† who continues to bear children so the amount of her assis tance checks increase and she can buy more drugs. Drug testing the poor is unquestionable popular among voters due to the prevailing yet misinformed opinion that the poor are lazy and undeserving of government help, â€Å"why should I work to pay for ‘them’ to sit at home all day?† is a commonly heard phrase. ... The facts, however, mirror this perception. Laws meant to purge the system from â€Å"drug abusing welfare cheats† do not accomplish what they are intended to do and are most likely unconstitutional. For example, drug testing people on welfare is supposed to save money, that’s the main argument. The 2008 Great Recession caused a great financial hardship to individuals as well as all levels of government. Saving money by eliminating waste is a popular political stance but the money saved is relatively small amount and is often exceeded by the cost to implement the testing law. â€Å"Idaho recently commissioned a study of the likely financial impact of drug testing its welfare applicants. The study found that the costs were likely to exceed any money saved.† (Cohen, 2012). An extensive peer-reviewed study found that a only a small minority of public assistance programs recipients such as Medicaid, food stamps, WIC AFDC and SSI, contrary to common opinion, have drug and alcohol problems, about five percent abuse drugs and six percent have an alcohol dependency. (Grant, Dawson, 1996.) A report from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism confirmed several other studies which found welfare recipients do not use or abuse drugs or alcohol at a rate higher than the general population. A separate study discovered that nearly three-quarters of adult drug users are have full time jobs. The arguments for drug testing welfare recipients do not square with the facts or the reality of the situation but the laws are politically popular due to the broadly help belief that the poor deserve unequal status and should be punished by society for their financial circumstance. This society would

Ethical & Legal Issues in Counseling Essay Example for Free

Ethical Legal Issues in Counseling Essay Counselors like any other medical professionals are guided by professional ethics when it comes to performance of their duties. More often than not, mental health professions are usually faced with the challenge to observe ethical guidelines and legal concerns due to the unique criteria that comes with their job. Primarily, the ethical requirement requires the confidentiality, privacy, and professional relationship between the counselor and the client. This is meant to safeguard the well being of the client and the society at large. The American Counseling Association however provides the ethical guidelines to help these professionals to be able to strike a balance between the ethical practice and the legal requirements depending on the condition of the patient. This leads us to the ethical and legal issues in counseling profession which stems from the 1976 Supreme Court ruling in the State of California better known as the Tarasoff v. Regents of University of California ruling. This paper shall review the California Supreme Court ruling giving details of the case and its implications on the counseling profession. It will also revisit the Virginia Tech Tragedy and draw comparisons between the incident and the Tarasoff decision. Review of California Supreme Court findings: Mental health professionals are confronted with scenarios in which the patients are expressive of some tendencies to cause harm to other individuals. This presents a dilemma on what should the mental health professional do in an effort to avert the imminent danger that the client might pose to the third party. In legal terms, this has been referred to as ‘the psychotherapy’s duty to warn or protect third parties’. The duty to warn and/or protect the third parties came up during the Tarasoff V. Regents of the University of California case in 1976. After learning of the incident in detail, the California Supreme Court observed that the psychotherapists engaged in the treatment of mentally disturbed patients had the duty to warn the threatened individuals based on their reasonable care in an effort to prevent the foreseeable danger that may arise from the condition of the patient (Buckner, and Firestone, 2000). In this landmark ruling, the Supreme Court had learnt of the negligence of the parties concerned which culminated in the death of the Tatiana Tarasoff. The facts of the case outlined that Prosenjit Poddar and Tatiana were in a relationship which to Poddar, was destined to be intimate. However, when Tatiana revealed to him that they were not going to be in such a relationship Poddar was heartbroken leading to the start of the emotional and mental breakdown. Tatiana left for Brazil in the summer of 1969 and Poddar’s conditions started to show some signs of improvement. He was later to enroll for psychotherapeutic sessions after a friend advised him to do so and became a voluntary outpatient at Cowell Memorial Hospital. He was placed under the care of Dr. Lawrence Moore and it is argued that he confided to the doctor that he was going to commit murder. He was referring to Tatiana, his supposed girlfriend when she returned from Brazil (Buckner, and Firestone, 2000). Dr. Lawrence Moore took an initiative to notify the police officers based on the campus regarding the intentions of his patient. He even wrote a letter to the police Chief based at the campus elaborating that Poddar was suffering from an acute and severe paranoid schizophrenic reaction and that he could be a danger not only to himself but also to the other people. The doctor proposed that he was ready to sign the seventy-two hour surveillance order if the police decided to pick up the patient and relocate him to Herrick Hospital. The doctor also observed that his patient’s behavior could at times be rational. Doctors Gold and James Yandell, who were supervisors to Dr. Moore, agreed with his diagnosis and recommendations that Poddar needed to be hospitalized. The patient was taken by the police and put into custody. The police officers including Gary L. Browning; Joseph P. Halleran; and Atkinson interrogated Podder and found out that he was indeed rational and had changed his attitude. The police however released Poddar from custody after he promised to avoid Tatiana and stay far away from her. On the same issue, Dr. Harvey Powelson, who was the Director of Psychiatry at Cowell Memorial Hospital ordered for the return of the letter that had been written by Dr. Moore to the police chief requesting for the 72-hour emergence detention of Poddar. He called for its destruction including the notes that had been written by Dr. Moore on the patient. The Director also issued warnings against taking of any action in putting Podder under the 72-hour emergency surveillance (Buckner, and Firestone, 2000). In the month of October 1969, Tatiana returned from Brazil and Poddar failed to live by the promise that he had made to the police and continued to pursue her. It is claimed that Poddar stopped his appointments with Dr. Moore after Tatiana had returned from her trip. However, the Supreme Court observed that Poddar had stopped seeing the psychotherapist after he was detained by the campus police. All the same, towards the end of October in 1969, Podder went to check on Tatiana at their home. At first he could not find Tatiana and was ordered to leave by Tatiana’s mother. Podder was to come back later equipped with a knife and a pellet gun. This time, he was lucky to find Tatiana alone at home. Tatiana refused to speak to Poddar and upon insisting, Tatiana started screaming. This prompted Poddar to aim at her with the pellet gun with Tatiana running wildly from the house. Poddar pursued her and was able to catch her up in the yard stabbing her severally. Poddar then retuned to the house and informed the police of what he had done asking to be handcuffed (Buckner, and Firestone, 2000). Dr. Kermit Gruberg, who was serving the Berkeley Police Department upon observation of Poddar in less than twenty four hours of the incident, confirmed that Poddar was a victim of paranoid schizophrenia. Poddar was charged with murder though he refused to enter a plea on the ground of insanity. Some times before he was tried, examinations from a neurologist who was hired by the defense indicated that Poddar had organic abnormalities in his brains. During the trial, Dr. Philip Grossi, Dr. Gruberg, Dr. Anderson, Dr. Moore, and Dr. Gold gave testimonies that Podder was insane and a paranoid schizophrenic. It was during the testimonies of Dr. Moore and Dr. Gold that the details about the victim’s plans to murder Tatiana were exposed. Poddar was convicted to second degree murder and following numerous appeals, he was released and ordered to immediately leave the United States, never to come back (Buckner, and Firestone, 2000). Vitaly and Lydia Tarasoff, who were parents to Tatiana, filed the wrongful death suits against the University of California and the psychotherapists who were treating Poddar. The parents alleged four actions which included failure to detain Poddar by the psychotherapists and failure to warn the Tarasoffs that Poddar was of potential danger to their daughter. The other two allegations included the one directed towards Dr. Powelson following his activities in abandoning a dangerous patient and the last one was regarding the ‘Breach of Primary Duty to Patient and the Public’ which was more same to the first allegation (Buckner, and Firestone, 2000). The rulings of the Alameda County Superior Court and the court of appeals dismissed the case ruling in the favor of the defendants. It was argued that there was no special relationship between the defendants and Tatiana or her parents and thus there was no obligation to warn. Dr. Powelson was said to have had no duty to commit Poddar and in case he did so, this action was f\discretionary and in accordance with the statutes. The Tarasoffs were not satisfied and sought redress from the California Supreme Court (Buckner, and Firestone, 2000). California Supreme Court Decision and its impacts on counseling profession: The decision made in 1976 by the Supreme Court is said to be a second time in considering the case. The very first decision was made in 1974 whereas the second decision emanated from the re-hearing which was granted in 1975. The first decision exemplified that the campus police had a case to answer for having failed to warn Tatiana whereas the second decision was freed them from all legal responsibility (Buckner, and Firestone, 2000). In the second decision, psychotherapists were handed greater latitude to offer protection to the potential victims. In the first decision by the California Supreme Court, the defendants claimed that had no obligation to issue any warnings to Tatiana or the Tarasoffs since they were not patients to the therapists. The court rejected this view while observing some exceptions. Under this the court observed that though the defendants had an exceptional relationship with Poddar as their patient; they had even attempted to control his behavior through the initiation of a police detention (Buckner, and Firestone, 2000). The defendants were also opposed to the duty to warn potential victims calling it problematic in the performance of their duties. However, the Court was quick to assure that not all incidences reported could result into the duty to warn and that a reasonable degree of skill, knowledge, and care would be required in exercising good judgment within the acceptable professional opinion. On the need to protect the confidentiality of the patient, the Court observed that limitation must be observed in disclosing information to prevent danger of patients to other individuals. In the second decision, the California Supreme Court required the psychotherapists to discharge duty to the endangered third parties by other means apart from warning them. The ‘duty to warn’ was therefore changed to become ‘the duty to protect’ under the second decision. The Court held on the decision that required the psychotherapy to protect third party victims upon using reasonable care aimed at protecting the other individuals from the dangers posed by their patients. The Court held that the Psychiatrists could warn the would be victims directly, sending other people who are likely to inform the intended individual, informing the law enforcement agencies, or taking any necessary step depending on the situation (Buckner, and Firestone, 2000). Following the landmark ruling in the Tarasoff v. Regents of University of California, many individuals thought that such a decision was an abnormal one and likely to be overlooked. The professions in mental health also observed that this decision was aimed at undermining psychotherapy practice through the destruction of the principles of confidentiality. Such observations were to be proved wrong since in a couple of year’s time, a New Jersey Superior Court in the McIntosh v. Milano (Buckner, and Firestone, 2000), indicted a psychiatrist basing on the Tarasoff incident. It has to be observed that the California Supreme Court decision which required the mental health professions to give a warning to third party individuals who were in potential danger from their patients has been adopted in most jurisdictions and the decision has even been broaden to incorporate other areas in healthcare practice (Buckner, and Firestone, 2000). The American Counseling Association (ACA) elaborates on the steps to be taken when there is a conflict between the established code of ethics and law requirement. The ACA observes that in the event there is a conflict, the counselors have the duty to make known their commitment to the ACA Code of Ethics and when the conflict stands unresolved by this; counselors have no choice but to relinquish their code of ethics and adhere to the laws and regulations. This means that the law reigns when there is a conflict between the established ethical responsibilities and the law (Docstoc, 2010). The Tragedy at Virginia Tech: Preliminary facts regarding the tragic incident at the Virginia Tech in the year 2007 were appalling. On this fateful day, 33 students and staff lost their lives in a shooting spree carried out by one of the students at the institution. The perpetrator was an English student known as Cho Seung-Hui who was described as a loner by his colleagues and is said have been identified by at least two of his professors as troubled. Earlier on the fateful day, Cho Seung-Hui is said to have mailed a tape to NBC News after having killed two of his victims. In the tape, he fumed against the wealthy in the society and argued that the society was to blame for his actions. The tape indicates that Cho Seung-Hui was full of rage and that he was emotionally troubled. His roommates and friends observed that Cho Seung-Hui showed anti-social tendencies on campus. He is said to have rarely engaged in conversations and was known for one word answers especially on questions that could expose much of him. Further more it has been established that much of the writings made by Cho in his course work revealed violence and murderous images and fury directed towards the female gender (Angelo, 2007). The incident at the Virginia Tech relates in many aspects to the Tarasoff case where the defendants failed to issue warning to the victim and her family. The United States Department of Education findings indicate that the institution dishonored the established campus crime-reporting legislations in responding to the shootings. It is argued that after the first shooting incident occurred at around a quarter past seven in the morning only for the university to issue the e-mail warning at around nine thirty. A moment later the gunman went on a shooting spree which resulted in the death of 33 students and professors including the gunman who shot himself. Timely warning was not issued and that the e-mail that was issued was inadequate as it failed to comprehensively pass the message. The mail read, ‘shooting incident’ without mentioning any fatalities. There is no justification for the two hour delay from the very first incident and the vagueness of the warning. The Virginia Tech officials had enough information that could have helped in identifying the threat and passing information to students and employees (Lipka, 2010). After the shooting, many people have claimed to have raised an alarm regarding Cho’s behavior two years before the incident. His English teacher at the institute is said to have been alarmed by his drawings and even asked him to stay out of class. There were also two other complaints rose by female students at the institution. Cho is said to have contacted one of the female in person and by phone and the other through instant message. After the incident were reported to the campus police, the only asked Cho not to repeat his advances. In the year 2005, the victim is said to have been ordered to a psychiatric observation by a court which revealed that he posed imminent danger to himself. He is also said to have spoken of suicide on several occasion. The officials from higher education claims that these observations are in contravention with the student’s right to privacy. Thus the institution was not in any position to conduct the parents of Cho without his consent on his background (Angelo, 2007). It is evident that those who had some crucial information on Cho Seung-Hui did not take the bold step on sharing the same. It is assumed that by sharing the information that colleagues and professors held about that the young man harbored could have seen the ugly incident averted through psychotherapy. It has been argued that his roommates and some professors had observed some warning behavioral traits. According to the findings of the 2007 Report to the President on Issues Raised by the Virginia Tech Tragedy; it was found that there are impediments in sharing of crucial information. One of the findings read; Education officials, healthcare providers, law enforcement personnel, and others are not fully informed about when they can share critical information on persons who are likely to be a danger to self or others, and the resulting confusion may chill legitimate information sharing (The White House, 2007, para 4) Conclusion: In the Tarasoff incident, the patient is said to have revealed of his intention to kill the girlfriend to the psychiatrists but the therapist failed to issue a warning to the intended victim which tragically ended in the death of the victim. The therapists were found to be answerable for having failed in their duty to warn the victim of the potential danger posed by their patient. The psychiatrists cited breach of confidentiality in their defense which was dismissed by the Supreme Court ruling by offering guidelines on the confidentiality issue. The Virginia Tech incident on the other hand presents a scenario where the institution was barred by the right to privacy to inquire into the psychiatric background of the student gunman and this led to the fatal incident where many lives were lost in cold murder. Reference: Angelo, J. M. , (2007). Tragedy at Virginia Tech. Retrieved on 17th July 2010 from; http://www. universitybusiness. com/viewarticle. aspx? articleid=758 Buckner, F. , and Firestone, M. , (2000). Where the Public Peril Begins: 25 Years After Tarasoff. Retrieved on 17th July 2010 from; http://cyber. law. harvard. edu/torts01/syllabus/readings/buckner. html Docstoc, (2010). Ethical and Legal Issues in Counseling Practice. Retrieved on 17th July 2010 from; http://www. docstoc. com/docs/18350933/Ethical-and-Legal-Issues-in-Counseling-Practice Lipka, S. , (2010). Virginia Tech Contests Education Departments Assertion of Late Warning in 2007 Shootings. Retrieved on 17th July 2010 from; http://chronicle. com/article/Virginia-Tech-Disagrees-With/65613/ The White House, (2007), Report to the President on Issues Raised by the Virginia Tech Tragedy, Retrieved on 17th July 2010 from; http://www. hhs. gov/vtreport. html

Essay --

What appeals most to people when it comes to different cultures is the food and the Jewish culture does not disappoint. Although Judaism is a religion, it is also a culture in its own right; many Jewish people share the same foods along with the same beliefs. What most non-Jewish people think of when the topic of Jewish food arises is the word kosher. Kosher foods are foods that abide by the regulations of the kashrut which is the Jewish dietary law . Some foods that are staples in the Jewish culture are matzah ball soup, latkes, tzimmes, gefilte fish, and Jewish apple kuchen (cake). Not all Jews share the same foods but most have had similar dishes throughout their lives. Those that keep kosher follow the laws of kashrut that start in the Torah. The word kosher comes from the Ashkenazi pronunciation of the Hebrew term kasher which means fit. When it comes to kosher meat, animals must have split hooves and chew their own cuds, although a pig has split hooves, it does not chew its own cuds so it cannot be kosher, other examples of non-kosher animals are the hare and camel. The Torah states winged creatures that cannot be consumed are mostly birds of prey, fish-eating water-birds and bats. Anything in the water that has fins and scales is considered clean. When it comes to dairy, milk from kosher animals is considered clean. Dairy and meat are not allowed to mix when keeping kosher. The reason for this is the Torah specifically forbids â€Å"seething† a young goat â€Å"in its mother’s milk† (Exodus 23:19, Exodus 34:26 and Deuteronomy 14:21) . Due to the dietary restrictions of Judaism, Jewish people had to get creative when it came to making dishes. A perfect example of this would be the Jewish apple kuchen or cake. For thi... ... tradition to eat sweet dishes for Rosh Hashanah to symbolize the hope of a sweet year. Gefilte fish is another Ashkenazi Jewish dish that is made from a poached mixture of ground boned fish like carp, whitefish or pike which is usually eaten as an appetizer. Historically it consisted of minced forcemeat which is a mixture of ground lean meat emulsified with fat, stuffed inside the fish skin. In the 19th century the skin has been left out and the fish is formed into patties. They are popular during Shabbat which is the Jewish day of rest and seventh day of the week; Jews remember the creation of the heavens and the earth in six days and the exodus of the Hebrews. Shabbat starts from a few minutes before sunset on Friday until the appearance of the three stars in the sky on Saturday night. Shabbat is started by lighting candles and reciting a blessing.

Congo Poverty

Poverty has worsened in the Republic of Congo since the 1980s and half the country’s people now live below the poverty line. This average, however, masks wide geographic and economic inequalities. Most of the country’s poor people (64. 8 per cent) live in rural areas and women are among the hardest hit by poverty. In 2006, more than a third of children under five in rural areas suffered from malnutrition. Access to water is also poor in rural areas where only 11 per cent of people can get water compared with 75 per cent of people in urban areas.Rural people also have a higher unemployment rate with close to 50 per cent of the economically active rural population being out of work. Young people and vulnerable groups are particularly hard hit. The country’s turbulent history — a troubled transition from centralized planning under a Marxist government to a market economy, together with economic mismanagement, military coups and brutal civil conflict during th e 1990s — have all left their marks. The vital national rail line and adjacent rural roads forming the Congo's economic lifeline were ruined.At the height of the conflict, about one third of the country's people were displaced. The chronic financial crisis became acute and the financial sector came close to collapse. Poverty became deeper in the rural areas of the Congo where poor people are now powerless, vulnerable and isolated. Transportation costs are very high which seriously hampers small producers’ access to markets. HIV/AIDS affects 5. 3 per cent of the population, but affects the 15-49 year age group the most and is an obstacle to reducing poverty in the Congo.An estimated 90,000 adults and children were living with HIV/AIDS at the end of 2003. The government supports a multi-agency initiative implementing a ten-year programme to assist people living with HIV/AIDS. Who are the Congo's rural poor people? Although half the country’s people live below the poverty line, the poorest people are in rural areas where they earn a livelihood as are small-scale farmers and fishers. There are also poor people living in peri-urban areas who have no access to land. Because of the low population density in rural areas, access to land is not a major problem for most rural people.But in peri-urban areas, where small plots can be profitable, land has become a scarce resource, and people without access to land or off-farm employment are the poorest of the poor. The most vulnerable of all poor people are young people and women, who are the primary agricultural producers and processors. Where are they? Poverty is most severe in the Congo's rural areas where people are more isolated and there is little investment. Why are they poor? Despite the country’s huge potential, there are several causes of the poverty in the Congo: * microfinance in rural areas is almost non-existent; low agricultural productivity as a result of traditional cultivation m ethods, insufficient use of inputs such as improved seeds and planting materials and fertilizers; * vehicles, access roads, crossings and navigation channels are in very poor condition which makes transport and other costs high; * difficulties in marketing because of weak collection and distribution organizations, basic processing equipment and a frail communication system connecting producers, traders and consumers. Not to be mixed with the neighboring Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has become the poorest country in the world as of 2010.Democratic Republic of the Congo was known as Zaire until 1997. Congo is the largest country in the world that has French as an official language – the population of D. R Congo is about six million larger than the population of France (71 million people in D. R Congo vs 65 million in France). The Second Congo War beginning in 1998 has devastated the country. The war that involves at least 7 foreign armies is the deadl iest conflict in the world since World War II – by 2008 the Second Congo War and its aftermath had killed 5. 4 million people. Congo Poverty Poverty has worsened in the Republic of Congo since the 1980s and half the country’s people now live below the poverty line. This average, however, masks wide geographic and economic inequalities. Most of the country’s poor people (64. 8 per cent) live in rural areas and women are among the hardest hit by poverty. In 2006, more than a third of children under five in rural areas suffered from malnutrition. Access to water is also poor in rural areas where only 11 per cent of people can get water compared with 75 per cent of people in urban areas.Rural people also have a higher unemployment rate with close to 50 per cent of the economically active rural population being out of work. Young people and vulnerable groups are particularly hard hit. The country’s turbulent history — a troubled transition from centralized planning under a Marxist government to a market economy, together with economic mismanagement, military coups and brutal civil conflict during th e 1990s — have all left their marks. The vital national rail line and adjacent rural roads forming the Congo's economic lifeline were ruined.At the height of the conflict, about one third of the country's people were displaced. The chronic financial crisis became acute and the financial sector came close to collapse. Poverty became deeper in the rural areas of the Congo where poor people are now powerless, vulnerable and isolated. Transportation costs are very high which seriously hampers small producers’ access to markets. HIV/AIDS affects 5. 3 per cent of the population, but affects the 15-49 year age group the most and is an obstacle to reducing poverty in the Congo.An estimated 90,000 adults and children were living with HIV/AIDS at the end of 2003. The government supports a multi-agency initiative implementing a ten-year programme to assist people living with HIV/AIDS. Who are the Congo's rural poor people? Although half the country’s people live below the poverty line, the poorest people are in rural areas where they earn a livelihood as are small-scale farmers and fishers. There are also poor people living in peri-urban areas who have no access to land. Because of the low population density in rural areas, access to land is not a major problem for most rural people.But in peri-urban areas, where small plots can be profitable, land has become a scarce resource, and people without access to land or off-farm employment are the poorest of the poor. The most vulnerable of all poor people are young people and women, who are the primary agricultural producers and processors. Where are they? Poverty is most severe in the Congo's rural areas where people are more isolated and there is little investment. Why are they poor? Despite the country’s huge potential, there are several causes of the poverty in the Congo: * microfinance in rural areas is almost non-existent; low agricultural productivity as a result of traditional cultivation m ethods, insufficient use of inputs such as improved seeds and planting materials and fertilizers; * vehicles, access roads, crossings and navigation channels are in very poor condition which makes transport and other costs high; * difficulties in marketing because of weak collection and distribution organizations, basic processing equipment and a frail communication system connecting producers, traders and consumers. Not to be mixed with the neighboring Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has become the poorest country in the world as of 2010.Democratic Republic of the Congo was known as Zaire until 1997. Congo is the largest country in the world that has French as an official language – the population of D. R Congo is about six million larger than the population of France (71 million people in D. R Congo vs 65 million in France). The Second Congo War beginning in 1998 has devastated the country. The war that involves at least 7 foreign armies is the deadl iest conflict in the world since World War II – by 2008 the Second Congo War and its aftermath had killed 5. 4 million people.