Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) Blogs

Together for Justice

International Development and Advocacy

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 »

The Continuous Struggle for Land Rights in Sri Lanka

By Herman Kumara | Chairperson of Praja Abhilasha, Joining Hands Sri Lanka   Praja Abhilasha (PA), the Joining Hands network in Sri Lanka, in partnership with its member organization the National Fisheries Solidarity Movement (NAFSO), organized a 3-day land rights workshop in April 2017 to bring together land rights campaigners from across the country to… Read more »

Herakles Farms’ Cameroon Land Grab is Losing its Grip

By Joséphine Maidjane Mbara and Jaff Bamenjo | RELUFA, Joining Hands Cameroon The frequency of large scale land acquisitions for agro-industry projects has been exponentially on the rise in most African countries for the past decade. Land deals are always portrayed by investors and government agencies as necessary to improve economic growth and expand local… Read more »

Reviving millet production to ensure food security in India

By Spurgeon Raj | Coordinator of Chethana, Joining Hands India Once Millets were an integral part of the culture and diet of the tribal peoples of Srikakulum District of Andhra Pradesh in India.  However, over the last few decades, due to impacts from the green revolution and unsupportive measures by the state, nearly 85% of… Read more »

Plight of Haitian farmers inspires efforts of U.S. churches

By Cindy Corell | Mission Co-worker Haiti My job description defies easy explanation. I work with farmers’ organizations from all across Haiti. Together, the hundreds of groups – consisting from several hundred to many thousand members – form a Joining Hands network that advocates for a better life for Haitians. The network, Hand to Hand… Read more »

Renco Versus Peru Round II

By Jed Koball | Mission Co-worker Peru A report earlier this week from the nationally distributed paper La Republica, claims that The Renco Group, Inc. has once again filed an investment dispute arbitration against the State of Peru in the World Bank’s arbitration forum the Investment Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). To… Read more »

A Call To Action on NAFTA

Submit Public Comments on NAFTA’s Renegotiation By Rev. Pamela Lupfer | Presbyterian Hunger Program   The U.S. Trade Representative is currently accepting public comments on how it should renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).  Submit a Public Comment Now! Please demand that any NAFTA replacement deal prioritize the needs of working families and… Read more »

Responding to Famine in South Sudan

Following years of war coupled with extreme drought, South Sudan is experiencing major disruptions in food production and supply resulting in extreme food shortages and malnutrition.  According to USAID “An estimated 5.5 million people—nearly half of South Sudan’s population—will face life threatening hunger by July [2017].” In emergency disaster situations such as famine, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) partners with ACT Alliance to… Read more »