Distance Course in Legislative Drafting for Democratic Social Change
Past Projects: Education
Kyrgysztan: Micro-enterprises lacked access to credit
Extremely low-income students cannot complete their higher education and instead remain unemployed, sometimes engaging in crime rather than contributing to the country’s economic development. This report proposes to offer government-subsidized loans for higher education to such students. The proposed solution extends scarce budgetary resources by issuing affordable Treasury bonds for the education fund and offering low-income families loans without requiring collateral if they hold bonds valued at one third of the loan amount.
South Africa: Higher education students need funds to finish studies
The adult HIV/AIDS infection rate in South Africa has now reached twenty percent, and most of the infected population cannot afford AIDS drugs. Although international treaties permit developing countries’ governments to authorize “compulsory licensing” (a suspension of pharmaceutical patent rights) under certain conditions, the South African government has hesitated to authorize generic domestic production of AIDS drugs for fear of U.S.-imposed trade sanctions. This report proposes an amendment to the U.S. Trade Act, prohibiting action by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) against African countries for compulsory licensing or parallel imports of three specific AIDS drugs for a period of fifteen years (and subject to subsequent annual review).
Nigeria: Child ‘street hawkers’ do not attend school
A large percentage of children engage in child labor, most frequently in various forms of “street hawking.” This work prevents them from attending school (and so from receiving adequate employment as adults) and exposes them to extreme danger, especially from drug dealers, who kidnap them to traffic drugs. This report proposes a system of compulsory education and provides alternative educational settings and schedules to accommodate economically vulnerable children. The proposed solution also would institute a campaign to alert citizens to the law and to the dangers of child labor and street hawking. Finally, the proposal includes rehabilitation measures for children currently engaged in street hawking.
St. Helena: Existing Child Care Ordinance hindered effective implementation
Rwanda: Universal primary education
|
