UN Follow-up Part 1. Questions about the real Oman

OK Team, as a follow up to the earlier post, here are some more specific questions from the UN researchers, asking about how they could aid Oman.

Photo [from Google Earth]: Oman from space. How can the UN best help the people of this place?


Can you help answer their questions? Is there any data on these issues, or others, available on line? Where can one find out about mentally handicapped children in Oman? Are there any women's shelters? Etc. I think the focus should be on collecting facts and data (or the absence of same) in these key areas.

On reflection, perhaps the first think the team could offer is an independent report into such things, where data collection is the focus...

Dear Dragon,

...

Concerning the traditional fisheries, are there any plans being made that you know of to revive the fish-population?
- What happens to handicapped children in the small villages and with the Bedouin nomads? Are they being ignored?
- What is the main Omani attitude concerning education? Is there any [need] for [of] compulsory education for the Bedouin people?

UN Research Questions: Where does Oman need assistance/aid?

OK team. You think you know where Oman has problems? Or where it doesn't?

You can help prioritise the international research being done right now into where Oman could do with some assistance meeting the UN Millennium Goals.



Here's the email from the UN sponsored team:

Dear Sir / Madam,

We are students of Avans University in Breda (Netherlands) and we started a new project recently aiming to aid the world where necessary. Every project group has been assigned to a country that has been put on an urgency list by the UN in the year 2000. We are going to work on this project as a group for the next two months.

After a week filled with research, expositions and documentaries we arrived at the point where we need to contact people who know all about Oman. We are aware of the fact that Oman is a country with many contradictions in prosperity and culture. The image shown by the media is predominantly positive but the grade of prosperity is not equal in all parts of the country.

The given millennium goals are very general. Eventually the ultimate goal is to fight poverty worldwide and to make sure the promises of the millennium goals are kept. Concluding, we are looking for issues the Omani people face, no matter how small. The millennium goals include eliminating hunger, diseases and child mortality and stimulating equal rights, good education, a sustainable environment and fare trade.

Our question to you is, which problems in Oman deserve special attention?

If you are not able to answer our questions, but you know someone who could possibly do, please send us an email how we can get in touch with that person. All information is welcome!


Thanks for your help,

The UN Millennium Goals

Now, I figured you could help. So, comments please. You can help Oman and the UN.

Meanwhile, here's my reply:

Team,

Oman is in pretty reasonable shape overall, given its history and low income.

Off the top of my head, they need help with:
- imminent collapse of many of their traditional fisheries, due to over-fishing and mis-management
- care of special needs children (huge genetic problems caused by in breeding, combined with cultural avoiding of such children)
- education about, & access to, genetic councilling (see above)
- access to basic hygiene and health care information in remote areas, especially nomadic Bedouin,and far off villages
- greater availability of micro-finance schemes
- family planning clinics
- women's shelters (I'm not sure that Oman has any)
- foreign workers rights and treatment
- sex worker rights and treatment
- a poor education curriculum based on rote learning and the principal that no one fails or really needs to study too hard.


and so on. But unless you get some data its all pretty anecdotal.

I'll post your inquiry on Muscat Confidential and see what my readers can add, but in truth the question would be best asked in Arabic on one of the many Omani forums.

regards
Dragon