Bread Blog

What's art got to do with poverty?

Thursday, October 16 is World Food Day and this weekend many groups around the world are putting together events as part of the international campaign Stand Up Against Poverty (October 17-19). 

Stand Up is a global mobilization to end poverty and inequality and to raise awareness for the Millennium Development Goals.  The ongoing hunger crisis and economic downturn brings new challenges to progress on achieving these goals.  Every day, 50,000 people die as a result of extreme poverty and the gap between rich and poor people is increasing.  Nearly half the world’s population live in poverty, 70% are women.  We have the power to change this.

Here in Portland, Oregon we are using art as a form of advocacy to mobilize and educate our community about the realities of hunger in the developing world.  Portland State University students have been rallied together by one passionate student, Carrie Stiles, who believes people can and must make a difference.  The event she is directing has pulled together politicians, anti-hunger advocates, global poverty experts and artists.  Artists are not usually the main attraction at a hunger awareness event, but Carrie is one of those people who can think outside the box.

Who better can tell a visual or auditory story through pictures, dance or music that connects us to our compassion but artists?  Artists live in the heart often more than the mind.  Art is a compelling form of advocacy that has been used throughout the ages.  Think of the wood engravings of Fritz Eichenberg during the depression that portrayed the long soup lines (see above image).  Eichenberg used his gift to call for peace and justice in this world throughout his life.

Last Friday, the PSU Stand Up artists gathered together in a local studio and created a web of advocacy by passing around a ball of yarn.  We looked at how advocating for one issue is connected to another.  For example advocating for orphans was connected to nearly every MDG.  Without help to care for themselves, orphans are connected to extreme poverty and often malnourished.  Further, lack of a proper education for an orphan in the developing world (where few get an education with meager government funds to invest in schools) limits their resources later in life.  Many orphans also find themselves in their precarious situation in areas like Sub-Sahara Africa because they lost their parents to HIV/AIDS.  The list can go on and on.

As we have lately seen, our world economies are interconnected.  Our world food system is also interconnected.   Our simple exercise in passing a ball of yarn showed us the connections between each of the Millennium Development Goals.  The root causes of global poverty are complex, but the MDGs are a comprehensive road map to at least cut extreme hunger in half by the year 2015. We just need the political will to follow the path.   I’m excited to see what our artists will come up with outside the usual box of advocacy on Friday.

Social Networking to End Hunger

Beth Kanter, social networking guru, recently posted about ways to take action on the issue of hunger.  She pledging to lose 10 pounds and she is encouraging her friends to sponsor her efforts.  All the proceeds will benefit the Austin Foodbank.  She is using her skills as a saavy social networker to generate awareness through Twitter and Tyson Food's blog.  Be sure to check it out.

Wendy Wetzel, pastor from the Oregon coast, posted on her blog about our financial priorities in our nation and the current economic bailout.  She recently signed the ONE Campaign's petition to ask ONE question of the presidential candidates about extreme poverty in our world.  She writes:

And as America turns to the standard bearers of our major political parties for some confidence, some direction, some vision for the future of our country, I will be listening to what they say about our world and hoping for Just ONE Question on global poverty in our increasingly interconnected world. I hope they both say yes, we'll find the money, because that's important to us.

Although it's easy to forget, that's important to me.

Save the economy? Yes. Then, please, let's do what we can to save the world.

Bread for the World is using social networking tools to generate political advocacy to end hunger. Are you part of our Facebook group?  Check it out.  We're also providing new ways for people to hear about our work through our monthly podcast - Breadcast. Discover new artists.  Learn more about hunger advocacy.

What are some of your favorite blogs or social networking sites that encourage you to get involved in a specific cause?

 

PENNY WARS

Before we can advocate for the poor and hungry, we need to educate.  Raising awareness in youth will create a whole new generation of activist.  The July/August edition of Hunger Sunday highlights the Munsey Memorial United Methodist Church in Johnson City, Tennessee where the middle school and high school group engaged in Penny Wars and raised over $400 for Bread for the World.  The youth also led two worship services around the theme of “Be the Change.” 

Bread for the World Sunday is coming up in October.  It is a time when many churches around the nation will give THANKS for God’s gift of abundant food, REFLECT on our responsibilities in a time of growing hunger, PRAY for those who are hungry, and RENEW our commitment to share abundance with others.  As Munsey Memorial has shown, there are many creative ways to involve our youth in hunger awareness activities and advocacy.

Foreign Aid, Farms and Poverty Reduction

“He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”  ISAIAH 2:4

Recently Bread for the World Institute came out with a new policy paper titled, “Reforming Foreign Aid.”  The Institute is the branch of Bread for the World that provides analysis on hunger and strategies to end it.  They look at the big picture issues and not surprisingly have come to the conclusion that responding to the global crises requires, “establishing long-term development goals, especially increasing agricultural productivity in poor countries.”  The key to getting there is through reforming a foreign aid system that has not been substantially changed since the 1960’s.

When you give a person a fish, says the old adage, they eat for a day but teach a person to fish and they eat for life.  We must look at the assistance we give to our brothers and sisters in the developing world in terms of long term development and the ability to build up their agricultural systems that were stymied by farm policies .  When people in developing countries have the knowledge and the tools they can grow their own food.  Evidence shows small rural farms are essential in developing economic systems and poverty reduction.  Climate change, infrastructure, knowledge, technology and market viability are all important contributors to an economically successful rural agriculture.  It requires a wide angle lens to develop a system that will decrease and perhaps eliminate poverty in years to come.

When people have the basic resources to live, they are less likely to search for alternative and sometimes violent means to feed their children.  As pointed out in the briefing paper, “enabling people in poor countries to acquire the skills and opportunities to break the cycle of poverty is not only the right thing to do, but will serve the U.S. national interest by creating a more secure and stable world.”  Recently 84% of retired military officers polled agreed with that assessment.  Robert Gates, the Secretary of Defense, has also called for non-military foreign affairs programs to combat instability and he understands we live in a closely connected and interdependent world today that requires “far-sighted actions with long term benefits.”

With the global food crises creating more instability, starvation and increased poverty, now is the time to think about long term solutions to complex and immediate problems.  With a Congress that thinks in terms of election years, it requires that the American public weigh in on discussions of policy to ensure any substantial change where swords are turned into plowshares.

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Robin Stephenson is a field organizer based in Portland, Oregon for Bread for the World

Peace Corps Facing Funding Cuts

For years, the University of New Mexico has housed one of the Peace Corps recruiting offices in our southwestern region.

Even though the UNM office has consistently ranked high in the number of people it has recruited for the Peace Corps, its operations (and those of two other regional offices) will be consolidated into a single office in Texas.

The Albuquerque office will be closed at the end of September as part of a new austerity program implemented by the Peace Corps.  The cutbacks are necessary because of a weak U.S. dollar and rising costs of energy, which have caused a severe budget shortfall, officials told The Washington Post.

Lisa Paton, who has worked at the UNM Peace Corps office for a couple of years, said qualifications to become a volunteer have also been tightened considerably, which will have the effect of cutting the number of new volunteers.

The cutbacks in the Peace Corps are important to us who are involved with Bread for the World.  According to a chart put together by Bread for the World, this is one of the programs that were to receive more resources through the increases in funding for poverty-focused development assistance that we have sought in recent years.   

While the increases in costs are a real concern, Lisa wonders why a program that has created so much goodwill for our country is being cut back.  We should be able to find the money for this program and others that improve the quality and the scope of our poverty-focused development assistance.   And increasing the appropriate line items in the foreign affairs budget would be a great help.

Social justice activists need to kick into high gear

Fran Quigley is an activist with Bread for the World.  This opinion piece originally appeared in the Indianapolis Star. 

The war in Iraq has raged on, despite public opinion polls showing that nearly 70 percent of Americans think we are making a mistake there. Congress recently passed a five-year farm bill that is in large part a protectionist sop to agricultural corporations at the expense of poor farmers around the world.

The U.S. spends twice as much as other industrialized nations on medical care, yet leaves 47 million people without health insurance. The land of the free is now a notorious torturer, and imprisons hundreds of foreign nationals without charges.
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Those of us who oppose all of the above have held marches, petitioned Congress and written op-ed columns filled with outrage. But we haven't been able to stop any of it.

If the Indianapolis Colts were on this kind of losing streak, you can bet that the players and coaches would take a long, hard look at their game plan. A look at the game plan of 21st century peace and justice activists shows a gaping hole in our strategy: We lack visible and galvanizing displays of our own commitment.

The iconic social justice campaigns of recent history are the labor movement, the struggle against colonialism, the U.S. civil rights movement and the anti-apartheid effort in South Africa. All were characterized by self-sacrifice. Thousands of people, and not just leaders like Nelson Mandela and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., went to jail, fasted and even endured beatings and death for the cause. By their suffering, they "melted the stoniest of hearts," just as Gandhi predicted.

Our current activism doesn't measure up. There are inspiring exceptions, including here in Indiana. Last year, Indianapolis grandmother Valerie Fillenwarth went to federal prison for three months to protest the U.S. military's training of vicious Latin American guerrillas at the former School of Americas. Ron and Pam Ferguson, co-pastors of Winchester Friends Church, have instituted an organized fast where the cost of the missed meals is donated to hunger-alleviating ministries, and the participants are urged to advocate for compassionate public policies.

But for most of us, the limits of our commitment have been defined by sending an e-mail to our member of Congress, a check to a favorite not-for-profit, or attending an occasional peace rally. For example, the debate over the recent farm bill caused me to write a few letters and make some quick phone calls to our senators. But the sheer convenience of this kind of advocacy blunts its impact: Members of Congress report receiving as many as 2,500 emails and calls each week on a variety of issues.

Not surprisingly, when my armchair activism was matched against the millions of dollars in campaign contributions and lobbyist fees spent by corporations, the moneyed interests won the day. Given the life-and-death consequences to the global poor, those of us opposed to the farm bill's protectionism should have picketed the offices of our members of Congress. We should have boycotted the goods sold by corporations that profited the most from crop subsidies. We should have fasted in solidarity with the poor who are being left hungry by this legislation.

It is as if we activists are faced with the challenge to swim across a vast river of indifference and greed, yet we dare only to gingerly wade in up to our ankles. If we want to stop wars and ensure justice for the least among us, it is time to take the plunge.

Quigley is director of operations for the Indiana-Kenya Partnership.

Pass a Stimulus Package to Help Working Families

Photo from billadler via Flickr.

Bread for the World is urging Congress to consider a second stimulus package in light of the rising cost of fuel, food and basic necessities.  Food prices have soared, with the cost of groceries 7.1 percent higher in July 2008 than in July 2007.  These latest statistics are more bad news for working families:

• Unemployment is now at its highest level since March 2004, and one in five unemployed workers has been looking for a job for more than six months.
• Hourly earnings have risen only 3.4 percent over the last year, below the pace of inflation, which is at 5.6 percent.
• Gas prices are at a national average of near $4 a gallon, having increased 37.9 percent since July 2007.
• Foreclosure filings – default notices, auction sale notices, and bank repossessions – are up 55 percent from July 2007.

You can read Bread for the World’s recent post about a second stimulus package on the Hill blog.

Inflation Climbs to a 17-year High – Washington Post
Living Costs Rise Fast, and Wages Are Trailing – New York Times

Hiking with Congressman Schiff

Brittany Miles (CARE field organizer), Congressman Adam Schiff and me.

Last night, Brittany Miles from CARE and I attended a town hall meeting.  Well, it wasn't your typical town hall meeting like the type that happens in a high school gymnasium or a church fellowship hall.  This meeting took place on a mountain.  Our local congressman organized a hike with his constituents in Burbank, CA.  It was a beautiful way to experience nature and meet up with our representative.

Despite running late AND getting lost, we made it up the mountain in record time.  We felt like we were on a scavenger hunt.  Mission: Find the Congressman.  Once we found our way to the group of hikers, it was amazing to see the diversity of constituents who turned out for the hike.  There was a small group of girl scouts who asked GREAT questions like, "How did you decide to run for Congress?"  "What did you do before you were elected?"  They were super cute!  Other constituents used the opportunity to speak with Adam Schiff about their concerns - human rights abuses in China and preserving our open space. 

Along the trail, we met up with Rep. Schiff's executive assistant Jessica Howard.  We asked her about the purpose of the hike.  She said the Congressman was a lead supporter of the Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act, which the president signed into law in May.  The study could result in the preservation of 500,000 acres of land in the mountain areas of Southern California.

Rep. Schiff asked how things are going at Bread for the World and we had a few moments to speak with him about our work.  The congressman serves on the House Appropriations Committee and helps make funding decisions about accounts that fight global poverty.  In the past we've urged him to support increases in poverty focused development assistance, which includes: the Millennium Challenge Account, Development Assistance, the Peace Corps and other accounts to strengthen public health, nutrition and agriculture in the developing world.  The hike was a pretty cool way to connect with the congressman, talk about our concerns and meet up with his staff.

Hunger a Weapon of Mass Destruction

President Lula de Silva of Brazil states: "Hunger is actually the worst weapon of mass destruction.  It claims millions of victims each year." 

St. Mark, Salem, Oregon, battles hunger by hosting a Sunday soup kitchen, selling fair trade coffee and chocolate, supporting an AIDS orphanage in Tanzania, and participating in the Salem InterFaith Hospitality Network.  We also plan Thanksgiving and Christmas giving activities.  This Sunday was the congregation's first Offering of Letters.



Here's the report:

Participants 36

Sign ups 24

Letters produced 42

Crew about a dozen

Fellowship and mission:  priceless

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James Schackel is a member of Saint Mark Lutheran Church in Salem, Oregon and recently organized there first Offering of Letters.  He took the picture in the article and is also welcomed as a first time Blogger for Bread. 

Time is running out on the Global Poverty Act

We sent out an action alert today to our networks about the Global Poverty Act.  Congress is quickly approaching the end of its congressional session.  We'd like to see the Global Poverty Act reach the senate floor for a vote.  If it doesn't go to the floor, we'll need to start all over next year with the new congress.  Your voice is important.  Here are a few easy steps for taking action:

1) PRAY: Please pray that God will work in the hearts and minds of all U.S. senators. Pray that God moves them to understand that taking actions like passing the Global Poverty Act helps our nation keep the promises it has made to the world's poorest people.  Pray that the senators will be motivated by a deep concern for justice for all God's people.

2) ACT: Before you make your call, check to see if your member of congress is a cosponsor of the Global Poverty Act (S. 2433).  If so, read a list of talking points for existing cosponsors.

If your senator is not listed as a cosponsor, ask them to cosponsor the Global Poverty Act (S. 2433) and pass the legislation before the end of this congressional session.   Call 1-800-826-3688 as soon as possible but no later than July 25. 

[Note:  This toll-free number will connect you to the Capitol switchboard, where you will ask to be connected to your senator's office in order to leave your message. Find out who your senators are.]

Key points to make when you call:

• Please cosponsor the Global Poverty Act. (If your senator is already a cosponsor--click here for the list--your talking points will be different. Read the list of talking points for senators who have signed on as cosponsors.)
• With time running out on the legislative calendar, Senate leadership needs to see a robust list of cosponsors to move this important bill to the floor.
• The Global Poverty Act seeks to bring clarity, coordination, and accountability to our foreign assistance programs has already passed through the House and has bipartisan support in the Senate.
• The act would require the president to develop and implement a coordinated strategy of U.S. aid, debt relief, and trade policies to meet the goal of cutting by half the number of people who live on less than $1 a day by 2015.

Visit this page for background information.

Post in the comments section to let us know how it goes!