Posts By: Eileen Schuhmann

Presentation of PHP’s International Work

Learn more about PHP’s international development and advocacy work By Eileen Schuhmann | Presbyterian Hunger Program Recently the staff of the Presbyterian Hunger Program put together PowerPoint presentations, complete with narrations, with the goal of helping Presbyterians and others to understand better the work that we do in the world. The hope is that the presentations can… Read more »

U.N. report finds extreme poverty in U.S.

By Eileen Schuhmann | Presbyterian Hunger Program The U.S. is not immune to hunger and poverty problems. In fact, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Philip Alston, found high levels of inequality and extreme poverty in the U.S. After completing a two week visit to the U.S. in December 2017, Alston found… Read more »

PHP seeks to impact famine in conflict zones

Twenty Million on Brink of Famine By Eileen Schuhmann | Presbyterian Hunger Program We tend to associate famine with weather-related food supply issues. However, conflict is the primary driver of “persistent severe hunger” (IFPRI). On May 24, 2018, the UN Security Council recognized for the first time that armed conflict and violence are closely linked to… Read more »

Mining Fails Communities in DR Congo

cobalt mine DR Congo Civil society works to revise the mining code so that communities benefit from increased mining investment By Jean Marie Kabanga | Joining Hands DR Congo Since the enactment of the new mining code of the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2002 and the implementation of its mining regulations in 2003, promises for the development of local communities… Read more »

Fishing Villages Demand Release of Lands from Military Occupation

Eight years after the end of civil war in Sri Lanka, internally displaced persons continue to struggle to return home By Raajan Francis | Coordinator of Praja Abhilasha, Joining Hands Sri Lanka In 2009, in the final stages of the nearly three-decades civil war between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the militant group Liberation… Read more »

Palm Plantation Invades Ancestral Lands

Land grab in Mbonjo village, Cameroon displaces population and disrespects ancestral burial grounds By Jaff Bamenjo | Coordinator of RELUFA, Joining Hands Cameroon Imagine the graves of your loved ones being taken over by a palm tree plantation for the export of palm oil. The palm trees stand tall, surrounding the graves, and standing on the graves… Read more »

Faithful Journey Towards Justice

Joining Hands networks continue to advocate for change despite the long and unpredictable road By Doris Evangelista | Coordinator of Asociacion Red Uniendo Manos El Salvador, Joining Hands El Salvador In August, I traveled from El Salvador to Peru to gather with Joining Hands leaders from Cameroon, Sri Lanka, Haiti, Bolivia, and Peru to share experiences with each other:… Read more »

The Time is Now to Care for Water

From Water Wars to Climate Change, Bolivians are Faced with Growing Water Scarcity By Oscar Rea Campos | Foundation for Community Axión, a member of UMAVIDA The year 2000 in Bolivia was the year of the “Water War.” Under pressure from the World Bank, the government of Bolivia privatized the public water supply of Cochabamba,… Read more »

Connecticut coalition advocates for an improved NAFTA

By Rev. Pamela Lupfer | Joining Hands Campaign Organizer for Trade Justice In addition to working as the Joining Hands campaign organizer for Trade Justice, I have been working with Connecticut Fair Trade Coalition (CT-FTC) for the past three years. In our continuing efforts to reach out to Congressional representatives regarding concerns about the NAFTA… Read more »

Envisioning new ways of living well together

By Hivlin Siles Maldonado | UMAVIDA, Joining Hands Bolivia My name is Hivlin Siles Maldonado. I have been the coordinator of UMAVIDA, the Joining Hands network in Bolivia for a little over 5 months. As a network, UMAVIDA promotes environmental sustainability and empowerment of marginalized communities. As I look at the work we do with… Read more »