Oxfam Action Corps

Oxfam Action Corps celebrates International Women's Day!

2012-03-05T12:57:00.000-05:00

This week around the world, Oxfam and the GROW campaign are celebrating International Women's Day (March 8), honoring women who work the land, feed their families, and plow the way forward to more sustainable agricultural economies here and abroad.

In the US, the Oxfam Action Corps will be holding a variety of events, from panels of community leaders to film screenings to potlucks. Check for events in your city by clicking the blog links on this page or by visiting the Oxfam America events calendar.

Oxfam supporters at an Oxfam Action Corps event, New York City.

Oxfam supporters are taking action in our communities as a part of Oxfam’s global efforts this week, including a major delegation of Sisters on the Planet Ambassadors who will converge on Washington DC to advocate that the US Congress fix food aid.

You can also take action right from home! Send a beautiful e-card today to a woman in your life who has helped make your world a better place. And if you want to throw an event to give her the Oxfam International Women’s Day Award, click here to download our action guide for doing so (it’s the top link on the left of the page).

Worldwide, millions of women engage in small scale farming and are leaders in the fight against hunger, yet they face discrimination in access to resources like land and credit. Here at home, in each of our communities, women are among the innovators who are building a better food system that provides healthy and sustainable choices. We hope you will join us this month to celebrate women’s achievements here and worldwide in changing the way we grow, eat, and share food so that everyone has enough to eat, always.

Oxfam Action Corps 2012 Recruitment

2011-12-19T16:33:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone,

Oxfam America is currently recruiting new volunteers for 2012-2013. If you are interested in joining the Oxfam Action Corps please sign up and spread the word by February 14th at http://www.oxfamactioncorps.org.

Join the Oxfam Action Corps to support women farmers, fight global hunger, and build a better food system! You will meet great people and work together to change laws that can save lives, defend the rights of the world’s poorest farmers, and protect communities from rising food prices and climate change. You will gain leadership skills, have fun, and change the world!

Anybody can join the local effort! All levels of experience are welcome. You can also apply for Oxfam’s free four-day leadership training in Washington D.C. May 12 – May 15.

This year, we will mobilize for the GROW campaign for global food justice. The women and men in poor countries who struggle to grow enough food to feed their families are facing competition for land and water, rising prices, and climate change. We will call for laws that support women and farmers, sustainable practices, and resilience to climate change, and ensure a better future for people in the poorest regions of the world.

This is a year-round volunteer opportunity, with a deadline of February 14 to apply for the spring training. Find out more and sign up at http://www.oxfamactioncorps.org .

Check out this video to see what we are all about:

An idea that's worth spreading.

2011-12-09T14:44:00.001-05:00

Only 5 days left - Vote for Oxfam Action Corps’ Idea to Raise Awareness for East Africa!

Six of the Oxfam Action Corps teams (San Francisco, Des Moines, Chicago, Columbus, Boston and New York City) joined forces under the leadership of Elissa Yoder (Columbus Oxfam Action Corps) and submitted a proposal to GOOD to win $5,000 for awareness building here in the US about the East Africa crisis. Their idea involves hosting 6 simultaneous Oxfam America Hunger Banquets ® and linking them all via live web streaming.

How will the winning proposal be decided? The answer is by votes. Anyone can vote, and the proposal with the most votes by Wednesday, December 14 9am ET WINS $5,000 to actually implement the idea!

Will you take 2 seconds tovote? Check out their idea and vote for the Action Corps at http://fwd.maker.good.is/projects/ACTIONCORPS!

Other ways to help spread the word:
1. Take the above language and post it to your team’s blog.
2. Post on Facebook: Got 2 seconds? Vote right now for the Oxfam Action Corps to win $5,000 to implement a cool idea here in the US to raise awareness about the crisis in East Africa. Help us win this. Vote here, http://fwd.maker.good.is/projects/ACTIONCORPS .
3. Tweet about it: VOTE now to help @OxfamAction Corps win $5K to raise awareness about the #East Africa crisis! http://ow.ly/7QHZa @GOOD.

4. Send the above language as a one-off newsletter to your contacts.

The Oxfam America Hunger Banquet ® gives attendees extremely valuable insight into the root causes of poverty hunger, motivating them to take action against such atrocities as the famine in East Africa.

Speaking of Hunger Banquets, check out some great photos of the Madison Oxfam Action Corps Hunger Banquet!

COP17: Oxfam Style-- Can Durban be the bridge to a better future on climate change?

2011-12-02T15:59:00.000-05:00

Originally posted by Heather Coleman on Oxfam America's Politics of Poverty blog.

My colleague Tim Gore, climate change policy advisor at Oxfam International, wrote this blog laying out what governments can achieve at UN Climate talks which are starting this week in Durban, South Africa. We’ve adapted the blog to the US context and are reposting it here.

It’s now two years since the frantic campaigning and manic diplomacy that led to theCopenhagen climate change conference, and the blame games that followed its inadequate result. As the next UN climate talks get under way this week in Durban, South Africa, we need a new script to explain what has been achieved since 2009 and what must come next in the fight to tackle climate change.

The good news is that the UN talks on climate change are not a re-run of the zombie negotiating process in the World Trade Organization. But the ten year anniversary of the launch of the ‘Doha development round’ should give us pause for thought about where we want the multilateral climate change regime to be ten years after Copenhagen, and whether we are on track to get there.

The agreements struck last year in Cancún did not deliver everything needed to address the perils of our warming world, but they are leading to action.

New targets for emissions cuts have been set by an unprecedented range of countries, and for the first timedeveloping countries have pledged greater reductions than developed countries against projected emissions levels. New institutions—most notably the Green Climate Fund—are being created to help poor countries cope with the impacts of climate change.

In no small part as a result, China is leading the race to invest in renewable energy, Brazil and Indonesia are serious about tackling deforestation, Australia has finally put a price on carbon, and the EU is planning for near complete decarbonization of its economy by 2050. Poor countries in all continents are starting to build the need for adaptation to climate change into their development plans, and facing up to the grave implications of doing so.

The problem is that none of this is going far enough nor happening fast enough. Global emissions are growing faster than ever, despite the economic crisis. The International Energy Agency recently warned we havefive years left to change course before the lock-in effect of carbon-intensive infrastructure pushes out of reach the 2°C limit to global warming set by governments in Cancún. The gap between projected emissions in 2020 and the levels scientists say are needed to have a chance at staying within the 2°C target—let alone the 1.5°C needed—is actually widening.

What governments can achieve in Durban

So what can be delivered by governments in Durban to make a difference? An agreement is needed which builds on the past, plans for the future and delivers here and now in the present.

First, governments must ensure that the Kyoto Protocol continues as the bed-rock of the multilateral climate change regime. Although the US is not a party to Kyoto, the Protocol is the product of ten years of negotiation and represents an achievement of international diplomacy which cannot be dismissed. Critically, it establishes legal commitments according to common rules for emissions reductions, which provide mutual assurances for its parties that others are taking action, binding countries beyond the term of any one government, and giving the long-term certainty that business says is needed to invest in a low carbon future.
It is vital that the agreement in Durban builds on this achievement, and does not roll back the existing legal architecture for tackling climate change.

Second, governments must plan for the future by signaling that all countries will take on legally binding commitments. The US position on this issue has been problematic, insisting on a set of stringent pre-conditions that will prevent consensus on in Durban. Environment and development groups sent a letter today to Secretary of State Clinton calling on the US to shift their negotiating position.

Many are suggesting 2015 as the deadline for a legally binding commitment, as the culmination of a review period built into the Cancún agreements, and following the publication of the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report. But the critical question is not which year such an agreement would be signed, but whether it contains new targets for emissions cuts that go beyond the most ambitious of the current pledges, and whether those new targets enter into force before 2020. A new agreement which applies new targets only after 2020 will not be sufficient to close the emissions gap we face. They would take effect too late for 2°C.

Finally, governments in Durban must deliver on the urgent needs of poor people struggling against climate change here and now. Critically, they must take decisions which ensure the Green Climate Fund will be fully operational by 2013, and they must start to mobilize the long-term finance rich countries have promised to fill it.

The $100 billion per year developed countries committed to mobilize by 2020 need not all come from stretched government budgets. A deal is possible in Durban to generate billions from applying a fair carbon charge to international shipping and aviation, if negotiators can seize it. Governments can also find new revenues for climate and development finance by implementing financial transaction taxes at home, as seems increasingly likely in Europe.

It is tempting to say that every UN climate change conference presents a turning point for the world. But Durban must re-establish a narrative of where we have come from in the fight against climate change, deliver on present needs and make clear where we are going. If governments deliver, ten years after Copenhagen we might yet have a multilateral climate change regime which is fit for purpose.

Giving thanks to those who harvested the food on our plates today

2011-11-24T06:00:00.034-05:00

Community Engagement Intern Brittany Collins

Happy Thanksgiving!

As we take today to indulge in a delicious meal with our closest friends and family and reflect on what we are most thankful for, let us consider where the food on our plates has come from. Think about the farmers that nourished their crops so that they could be on our plates today. How many of us actually know where our food comes from?

The Chicago Oxfam Action Corps visited Spence Farm on World Food Day to gain some insight into that very question:

[If you have not yet already, take action online by signing Oxfam America's petition to urge Congress not to cut life-saving aid!]

Crop Mob 2011

By Thomas Leavitt, Spence Farm Foundation Board Member

The pouring rain as we drove out of Chicago had us worried about a soggy, wet and miserable day on the farm. Luckily, the rain stopped 35 miles outside of Fairbury, and the skies began to clear. When we pulled up to the farm it was clear and the temperature was in the mid 60′s. Perfect weather to help the Travis family with their harvest. This year’s Crop Mobbers, volunteers and Chicago residents interested in sustainable agriculture and the environment, the made the two hour trip in a rented van from Chicago to Fairbury. Many of us had made this same trip last year, and were eager to renew acquaintances with the Travises and the farm.

Upon arriving, we joined the Travises for lunch in the one room schoolhouse that serves as the meeting center for visitors to the farm. The Travis Family; Marty, Kris, and Will are direct descendants of the original settlers of the farm which is oldest continuous working farm in Livingston County. After introductions, Marty told a story of his 7th great grandfather who arrived here in 1830.

School House

Surrounded by a sea of commodity corn and soybean farms, Spence Farm is an organic oasis which the Travises have developed into a very successful niche organic produce and grains business supplying the leading restaurants in Chicago and central Illinois with their products. Disheartened every time that they saw a neighbor struggle and perhaps lose their farm, they formed The Stewards of the Land to help those neighbors access the markets to which the had Travises developed.

Realizing that their vision of a robust rural economy was more than selling, but also about educating, they started the Spence Farm Foundation in 2005. Regrettably, even children in rural Livingston County don’t all know where their food comes from or how it’s produced. Marty and Kris set out to change that with the Foundation, a registered educational non-profit organization. They now have programs on the farm for 2nd and 5th graders from the schools in Livingston County. Also offered are high school and university programs and farm tours for just about anyone who is interested.

While the weather was not as spectacular as 2010, this year’s Crop Mob to help with the harvest was just as rewarding. And harvest we did! I’m sure that I wasn’t the only one who might have been a little spooked when Marty said that they had 10,000 pounds of butternut squash to harvest. Amazingly, the 15 volunteers and the Travises harvested the entire field in just over an hour!

Butternut Squash

Squash on Wagon

Loading Squash

Look, I found a big one!

We then moved on to harvest potatoes and really get our hands dirty. Using a 100 year old potato harvester which they had saved from the junk man, Marty drove the tractor and son Will guided the harvester from behind. We volunteers followed on our hands and knees digging the loosened soil for tiny potato treasures. In all, we harvested 300-400 pounds.

Our day’s work amounted to a few hours, yet we saved the Travises two days of work that they alone would have had to do. Because small organic farms are typically family owned and operated, most of the labor is done by hand. The term “Crop Mob” was coined by city dwellers who have an interest in sustainable agriculture and would like to help more than just by going to the farmer’s market or joining a CSA.

For information about next year’s Crop Mob or to stay informed on happenings on the farm, please visit spencefarmfoundation.org and join our mailing list.

Say it with sweet potatoes - "don't uproot foreign aid!"

2011-11-21T13:05:00.019-05:00

Today and in coming days Congress is debating cuts to life-saving foreign aid, and Oxfam volunteer leaders are delivering petitions to save foreign aid to Senate offices along with an unusual twist: sweet potatoes. Why sweet potatoes? Because this Thanksgiving staple is also a feature of aid programs that boost nutrition in Africa.

A special orange-fleshed variety (conventionally bred) is rich in vitamin-A and drought resistant. Promoting it in place of less-nutritious varieties in communities in Africa has helped boost immune systems, prevent blindness, and improve livelihoods for growers. (A keen-eyed foodie will know that those pictured above are actually yams doing their best sweet potato impression.)

But this noble root is just one out of hundreds of such simple, cost-effective projects that are saving lives and livelihoods around the world - and funded by US foreign aid programs like Feed the Future!

So before scooping brown sugar, pineapple, and marshmallow on top of yours, grab a few extra and get in touch with Oxfam community leaders in your area. Join them in delivering this letter to your Senators along with a petition signed by more than 20,000 people nationwide.

Happy Thanksgiving, all!

SF Bay Area Oxfam Action Corps Hunger Banquet and "Africa's Last Famine" Screening

2011-11-17T18:11:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to the San Francisco Bay Area Oxfam Action Corps on their successful Hunger Banquet and film screening of "Africa's Last Famine"!

Posted 11/15/2011

This past weekend we held a Film Screening and Hunger Banquet in Berkeley. Thank you to all who attended! We had an educational and inspirational evening!

The evening started with remarks from Thao Nguyen, a local musician and Oxfam Sister on the Planet. We then viewed "Africa's Last Famine", a new film co-produced by LinkTV and Oxfam America. If you haven't seen the film, it'savailable online and worth watching, as it addresses the ongoing food crisis and famine in the Horn of Africa and provides examples of innovative programs that are working to give poor farmers resilience to survive and thrive during droughts.

We then moved on to the Hunger Banquet. From the start, the inequalities were evident, as only three people sat at a decorated table with place settings while most were sitting on the floor. The high income received a nutritious and gourmet meal, and middle income ate rice and beans. The majority in the low income group on the floor were served last and only had rice to eat on corn husks--no plates, no utensils. After eating, guests shared heartfelt comments about poverty and hunger. Simulating global inequalities within physical proximity made the experience very impactful for many. Several chose to act immediately by writing letters to our Senators. Thank you to those who wrote letters--we'll be hand-delivering the 11 letters soon! And everyone signed the petition asking Congress to fully fund poverty-focused aid in the upcoming budget decisions.

If you missed the event and want to take action, please consider the following:

1) Sign the online petition

2) Write or call your senator. Email us if you want help wording your request.

3) Give back this holiday season with Oxfam America Unwrapped

4) Attend Seeds of Resistance on December 6, by Women's Earth Alliance

5) Visit the Revolution Hunger website

Special thanks to Cancun Sabor Mexicano, Stella Nonna, and Gather for food donations and to Women's Earth Alliance and Revolution Hunger for partnering with us!

Oxfam America Hunger Banquets throughout the U.S.!

2011-11-15T16:10:00.000-05:00

Another amazing blog post by Drew Love of the Boston Oxfam Action Corps!

Think Fast, Imagine 1.85 Billion Hands

by: Drew Love

Can you imagine my two hands? Of course you can. They look, by all accounts, similar to your two hands. Although I don’t trim my nails as often as I should, and I’m terrible at moisturizing. But for the most part, you can imagine what a pair of hands looks like.

What about your hands and my hands? The mental arithmetic becomes slightly more difficult, but not terribly so. Yet at some point, if we continue to add pairs of hands to this mental image, there comes a time when you reach the limit of your imagination. We can only imagine so many hands at a time, and it’s usually a very small number.

So if I ask you to imagine 1.85 billion hands, is it even worth the question?

And if I tell you that those 1.85 billion hands are a part of the 925 million people who went hungry last year, can we really understand the scope of that hunger?

The challenging part is that even if we could understand the depth of that problem by reading a statistic, we would reach that understanding alone, most likely in front of our computers and in silence.

Now that’s depressing.

But there are better ways to understand the challenges we face. The most visceral form of learning is to go through an experience, not just read a statistic. The most empowering way to resolve a challenge is to do it with a sense of community, not in isolation.

So would you like to learn about hunger in the only way we can, by experiencing it? And would you like to learn about it in the only context that will ever create a solution, with a community?

We ask you to become part of that experience, part of that community, and part of the solution of reaching out to those 1.85 billion hands, so that 925 million people no longer have to go hungry.

Learn more about this experience: host your own Hunger Banquet and attend Boston's Action Corps Hunger Banquet this weekend.

In addition to Boston's Action Corps Hunger Banquet, there is an upcoming Oxfam America Hunger Banquet hosted by the Madison Oxfam Action Corps.

The Oxfam Action Corps teams in Minneapolis, Chicago, and San Francisco have already hosted powerful Hunger Banquets this season, as has Iowa, pictured here.

Find an Oxfam America Hunger Banquet in your area in the ACT FAST calendar, Change the world. Start here.

Act now! Deep budget cuts put millions at risk

2011-11-04T16:59:00.000-04:00

The senate is getting ready to vote on amendments to the budget, and the proposed cuts to foreign assistance could cost lives.

At risk: Programs that put 33 million kids into classrooms. Funding that has boosted food production in parts of sub-Saharan Africa by 400%. Projects that help tens of millions survive natural disasters and violent conflict.

Will you help fight for life-changing programs like these?

Please call your senators today and send a clear message: OPPOSE amendments that cut poverty-fighting foreign assistance.

On the Senate's slash
and burn list:

Aid for disaster victims.
Programs that put kids in classrooms.
Food security and hunger prevention programs.

Call your senators NOW and tell them not to cut foreign assistance.

Use the instructions below to make your call, then tell us how it went.

Here's how to make your call:

Call your senators and tell the person who answers the phone your name and where you're calling from.
[Find phone numbers for the Senators of the 112th Congress]
Tell the staffer: "My name is __________, and I'm calling from _______ to ask my senator to oppose amendments that cut foreign assistance programs. Don't try to balance the budget on the backs of the world's poorest people. It's not right or fair. These programs give poor people the tools they need to help lift themselves out of hunger and poverty. With high food prices and extreme weather events threatening millions, now is not the time to disrupt life-saving work around the world. Please oppose amendments that cut foreign assistance."
Once you've ended your calls, click here to tell us how they went!

These cuts won't solve our budget crisis but they could make the difference between life and death for many of the world's poorest people. Will you take a minute right now to make the call?

Thanks in advance for your time – your words will make a big difference in this fight.

Sincerely,

Judy Beals
Oxfam America Advocacy Fund

Boston GROW Training and World Food Day Celebration for Local Boston Volunteers

2011-10-28T17:42:00.000-04:00

Boston Oxfam Action Corps World Food Day Training- October 16, 2011

This blog entry comes to us courtesy of a Boston Oxfam Action Corps volunteer, Drew Love, who attended the GROW training session held on World Food Day!

The food movement, and other progressive movements, speak eloquently about the importance of “community.” But no matter how much ink is spilled over the issue, community is something that can only happen by people showing up.

So on Sunday, October 16^th, I decided to show up to the Boston Oxfam Action Corps training along with dozens of other people from the Massachusetts area.

What brought me there was a journey I started about two years ago while reading, volunteering, and interning for food justice projects.

There seemed to be plenty of bad things happening in the food system, and I wanted to do something about it. To name just a few:

· Agriculture is a major contributor to climate change

· About 33% of US Adults are obese, a problem strongly correlated to the food we eat

· From seed sales to organic food production, power and ownership in the food system has become increasingly monopolized

And of course I could go on about all the bad stuff, but I showed up that Sunday to learn more about the good stuff.

Fortunately, I was far from the only one.

The round table introductions revealed a group of people who were born in all parts of the country and in some cases from other parts of the world. There were people in their early 20’s, and people in their 50’s and 60’s. There were different genders, races, ages, accents and viewpoints.

Yet we had all come there with a shared value. We knew it was important to create a just and sustainable food system.

We wanted to learn how that could be done.

Just one of the impressive projects we learned about was theSystem of Rice Intensification (SRI), an innovative approach to rice production that could increase yields by 50% while reducing water usage by half.

So you’d have to wonder what kind of fertilizer, pesticide, and/or multi million dollar machine could lead to these miraculous results.

And you’d have to keep on wondering because SRI is simply a method. The method is taught from one farmer to another, forming a global patchwork of farmer communities. These communities are bound by their shared livelihood, the shared educational experience of learning about SRI, and the shared benefits of living better, with a smaller footprint, on their own farms.

A similar sense of community came out of the Boston Oxfam Action Corp meeting that Sunday. Even though we began with introductions that revealed just how different we might be, we ended that workshop as a community of people brought together by shared values, and bonded through a shared experience.

That Sunday gave us the opportunity to create community, and as that community starts to flourish there is no doubt that it will make significant contributions to the food justice movement that Oxfam and so many others are dedicated to.

-Drew Love

Oxfam Action Corps Volunteer

NYC World Food Day Event: "Hunger in a World of Plenty" U.S. Premiere Screening and Panel Discussion

2011-10-21T17:38:00.001-04:00

Community Engagement Intern Brittany Collins

In just one of many successful and thought-provoking events held throughout the country by the Oxfam Action Corps this past Sunday, the New York City Oxfam Action Corps hosted the U.S. premiere of the documentary Hunger in a World of Plenty. The screening was followed by a great panel discussion about the issues brought up by the film and the issues very closely tied to Oxfam's GROW campaign!

Make sure that you've signed Oxfam America's petition to urge Congress to preserve foreign aid (less than 1% of the entire budget) in this time of spending cuts.

by Avi Smolen

There are many big questions to ask about the causes of hunger today:

Does it occur because there is not enough food for everyone?
Does it occur because of climate change?
Does it occur because of insufficient infrastructure?

The simple answer is that none of these are the simple causes of hunger today. There is enough food today to feed everyone on the planet, though the wealth inequality means that some people go hungry while others struggle to lose weight (U.S. obesity epidemic). Climate change can lead to both insufficient rain and floods that kill crops and therefore affect the quantity of food available. Yet there are also advanced growing techniques that will allow us to maintain an adequate supply of food, at least for the near future. (Both climate change and wealth inequality are major issues about which we should be concerned.) Infrastructure isn’t the problem either. While in some places poor roads or lack of railroads can hamper the distribution of food, there is no reason that local communities cannot grow food nearby.

Panel from "Hunger in a World of Plenty" - (left to right) Vice President for Africa Programs Dr. Idrissa Dicko (The Hunger Project), Director of Education and Community Engagement Stephanie Ives (American Jewish World Service), Senior Campaigns Advisor Rohit Malpani (Oxfam America), and Senator Kirstin Gillibrand's constituent liaison/immigration caseworker Julina Guo (moderator) are introduced by Oxfam Action Corps NYC Co-Organizer - Arielle Cahill-Hassid.

Photo by Adam Fischmann

At the event “Hunger in a World of Plenty,” sponsored by Oxfam NYC Action Corps, American Jewish World Service, Union Theological Seminary and The Hunger Project, these were the topics of conversation. After a screening of the film by the same name, a number of panelists discussed food justice issues affecting world hunger today. The issues are quite complex, but I was left with a few major takeaways.

The fluctuation in food prices is caused by excessive capital in commodities markets leading to speculation (in addition to real factors such as weather and production). Regulations can help prevent such severe price increases, and rules have just been passed by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (given authority in the Dodd-Frank financial overhaul) to do just this.
A rise in food prices that may be a minor inconvenience to middle class residents of developed countries means hunger for many in developing nations. They cannot afford price increases, as many of them already spend a majority of their income on food.
The best way to ensure that hunger is reduced and eventually solved is to provide communities with the resources and tools that they need to grow at least some of their own food. In this system they will be able to provide for themselves, they will be less dependent on imported food, and will be less affected by price fluctuations in the market.
Developed countries like the U.S. play a major part in preventing this from happening. Subsidies, which significantly lower the cost of production for farmers in developed countries, allow nations like the U.S. to dump excess rice, corn, or other crops in developing nations, often under the guise of food aid. While in the short term such food aid is necessary to combat immediate lack of food, such practices can destroy local economies. A prime example is the dumping of free rice in Haiti in the months after the earthquake, making it impossible for Haitian rice farmers to sell their products and harming their livelihood.

There are so many more complexities to current food justice and food aid issues, but what gives me some solace is that organizations like the co-sponsors of this event are working to change the system. AJWS has a fantastic petition to Reverse Hunger by maintaining funding for food aid (a fraction of 1% of the national budget) and using those allocations smartly. I am hopeful that we can make an impact and I hope to attend an event in ten years about the progress we have made and how close we are to ending world hunger.

Avi Smolen is currently the Communications Manager for Progressive Jewish Alliance & Jewish Funds for Justice, a domestic social justice organization, in New York. He graduated from Rutgers University in 2009 with a BA in Political Science and minor concentrations in Jewish Studies and Psychology. Previously, Avi worked as a Faiths Act Fellow in Washington DC at the Malaria Policy Center, where he focused on engaging college students in multi-faith global health activism, and as Development and Communications Associate in the New York office of Keren Or, a Center in Jerusalem for blind and multi-disabled children and young adults. Avi is also an active volunteer with Oxfam Action Corps NYC.

World Food Prize update as we approach World Food Day!

2011-10-14T18:51:00.000-04:00

Desiree Thayer, San Francisco Bay Area Oxfam Action Corps organizer, wrote two great posts (reprinted below) about her experience at the World Food Prize this week in Des Moines, Iowa! She is there with organizers Amy and Stephen and other volunteers from the Iowa Action Corps, organizer Arielle of the NYC OAC, organizer Elissa of the Columbus OAC, organizer Nancy of the Chicago OAC, and Oxfam America staff, including Campaigns Director Judy Beals, Agricultural Advocacy Lead Jim French, Organizing and Alliances Coordinator Rebecca Perlmutter, Community Engagement Specialist Clara Herrero, and Senior Volunteer and Community Organizer Brian Rawson.

Volunteer Eileen, Organizing and Alliances Coordinator Rebecca Perlmutter, NYC Organizer Arielle, and SF Bay Area Organizer Desiree at the World Food Prize in Des Moines, IA.

Happy World Food Day, everybody!

Posted 10/12/2011

It's been a busy day at the World Food Prize in Des Moines, Iowa. Oxfam Action Corps volunteers from Des Moines, Chicago, Columbus, New York City, and San Francisco are here along with Oxfam America staff and special guest farmers from Colombia and Ethiopia.

The day was filled with talks and panel discussions from many sectors of agriculture and food, including governmental, nonprofit, private business, and academic. Nearly every talk I attended expressed a need to increase food production to feed a growing population of 9 billion people by 2050, though, not surprisingly, the approaches described varied from high tech products and methods to development assistance programs for farmers in developing countries.

Two descriptions of the food system that resonated with me were from Howard G. Buffett from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and Judy Beals from Oxfam America. Mr. Buffett said, "Different farmers need different solutions," which he has witnessed on his own research farms here in the Midwest and in South Africa. He shared four stories of projects, all that were unsuccessful but proved to be great lessons in the importance of local and geographic-specific considerations for determining technology feasibility environmentally, economically, and socially. Echoing a similar view, Judy Beals explained how we are faced with the need to reform the food system, which is a complex problem and "there is no silver bullet and no magic seeds".

We were also very fortunate to have two female farmers from developing countries come to share their experiences at an Oxfam-sponsored panel. Nelly Velandia, a farmer from Colombia, and Silas Samson Biru, an Ethiopian farmer, spoke about their work with farmer-led initiatives in their countries. Nelly is a leader for the Farmers' Markets Program in Bogota, which aims to promote the small farm economy and bring fresh food produced by small farmers directly to the consumer at fair prices. Silas participates in a risk-management program: Horn of Africa Risk Transfer for Adaptation (HARITA). Both women have worked hard as leaders in their communities, facing difficulties as they break cultural norms for women and convince local government to include them in decision-making. Their stories in inspiring, not only for their successes, but also for their perseverance to continually improve their programs.

Tomorrow will be another day full of information at the World Food Prize. Stay tuned for more updates.

Posted 10/13/2011

Today was another full day of learning and sharing at the World Food Prize in Des Moines. Conversations about food and agriculture continued, as many players involved in food production and food-related policies were included on today's schedule.

One of the day's earliest sessions was a report of the 2011 Global Hunger Index by the International Food Policy Research Institute. This report is based on the most recent data about hunger and malnutrition and makes recommendations for ways to address food security. The full report is available online, with much information relevant to Oxfam's GROW campaign.

There were also several panel discussions focused on the inclusion of women and girls in agriculture development. Mary Rono, a dairy farmer from the Kendu region of Kenya, spoke about her experiences as co-founder and chairperson of the Koitogos Dairy Cooperative Society. She described social and cultural barriers she faced in her community and home while establishing her group, which gained status as a coop earlier this year. The coop is now very successful with 350 members, including 33% women and 15% youth. By pooling their milk for sale at a nearby processor, the farmers have secured a good price and steady income. They also have training sessions to learn about better practices to raise and tend their animals. Mary's story is very inspirational, with her determined personality apparent to ensure the livelihood of her family and community.

The Secretary's Roundtable and African Presidential Leadership Roundtable were also held today. It was very interesting to learn about the agricultural development goals and practices of several African countries. On the positive side it seems some of the African countries represented in the sessions are working to improve and maintain small-scale farming. For example Tanzania is using rice seeds from their own research efforts, with rice yields more than twice as much for small-scale farmers compared to large farms. Also, Mozambique has 1000 demonstration plots that are used to educate farmers on improve methods. However, it was surprising, to me, to learn about the use of subsidies for seed and fertilizer in Ghana and Tanzania. Due to the limited budgets of the governments in these countries, the Ministers of Agriculture from both recognize the likely non-sustainability of subsidy programs. One can only hope their farmers will have long-term security if government subsidies are reduced or eliminated in the future.

Once again a common message was to realize and embrace that different solutions are required to ensure food security in different areas. Though it seems that many see the importance of taking geographical and some social differences into consideration for food and agriculture development, it's not clear whether developed countries have fully realized that there should be more than a one-way exchange of ideas and programs. A two-way exchange between developed countries and developing countries is needed to realize long-term and sustainable success for implementation of agriculture development strategies. We in the developed world are faced with many problems in our own food system (e.g. obesity and nutrition, environmental impact, loss of family farms), and a more holistic approach is needed in developing countries to avoid facing the same problems we face today.

World Food Day Events: Boston, New York City, and Chicago, and more!

2011-10-07T10:57:00.005-04:00

World Food Day is just over a week away! What will you be doing to celebrate? Why not attend one of these unique and exciting events before or after hosting your own Sunday Dinner?! A GROW training session in Boston, a film screening and discussion in New York City, and a Crop Mob in Chicago! Not near any of these cities? Check the ACT FAST event calendar, Change the World: Start Here, to see what is happening in your area!

Boston:

The Boston Oxfam Action Corps is a group of people from diverse backgrounds who come together as volunteers to help Oxfam campaign and win policies that will help tackle hunger and poverty on a global scale.
Join us for a special gathering this World Food Day, October 16. Together with Oxfam's senior organizing staff, we will provide an afternoon training on Oxfam's new campaign on global hunger – GROW – dedicated to taking action for food, fairness and the future of our planet. This is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to learn more, meet other Oxfam supporters and get involved.
The training includes an optional dinner to celebrate World Food Day. We hope you can join us.
What: Free training for Oxfam supporters in the Boston area.

Topics: We will learn about the GROW campaign, share ideas and make plans to address global hunger through action with Oxfam Action Corps in Boston.

Who: You! Open to Oxfam supporters, members and leaders of allied organizations. Also feel free to bring friends who are equally committed to fighting hunger and poverty.

When: Sunday, October 16. The training is from 1:30-5:30pm. This will be followed by an optional dinner with tasty food and a chance to chat informally.

Where: Oxfam America's office – 226 Causeway St., 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02114.

Cost: Free. The training and dinner are free of charge. Bring yourself and come ready to participate!

RSVP: Please click here to RSVP online (or email me the organizers boston@oxfamactioncorps.org). Specify whether you will attend the optional dinner and if you have any dietary restrictions. Please be sure any interested friends do the same.

For more information: If you have questions about the training, please contact Oxfam's Brittany Collins at bcollins@oxfamamerica.org and 617-517-9439.
This is a great opportunity to join a community of action with Oxfam in Boston. We hope to see you there!
Emily Hubbard and Christine Ellersick, Oxfam Lead Volunteer Organizers

New York City:

Oxfam Action Corps NYC, together with American Jewish World Service, The Hunger Project's Young Professionals Committee, and Union Theological Seminary, is hosting a US film premiere and discussion about how to change our global food system. Check it out and learn more about why this issue is so important and what you can do to help.

What: World Food Day celebration and film premiere, discussion and recipe tasting. The film, “Hunger in a World of Plenty,” addresses why, in a world that has enough resources to feed 12 billion people, nearly one billion people are chronically hungry.

When: Sunday, October 16 at 4:00pm – doors open at 3:30.

Where: James Memorial Chapel at Union Theological Seminary, 3041 Broadway at 121^st Street, New York City

Speakers: We’ll hear from Dr. Idrissa Dicko, Vice President for Africa Programs with The Hunger Project, Stephanie Ives, Director of Education and Community Engagement with American Jewish World Service and Rohit Malpani, Senior Campaigns Advisor with Oxfam America, who will discuss topics addressed in the film and ways in which attendees can take action on a local level.

Cosponsors: This event is cosponsored by the Brooklyn Food Coalition, Buddhist Global Relief, DIG (Development in Gardening), FeelGood Columbia University, the Hunger and Environmental Nutrition Special Interest Group of the Greater New York Dietetic Association, the International Youth Council, the Small Planet Institute and WhyHunger.

RSVP: This event is free and open to the public – please RSVP today.

Want to help prepare some of the tasting dishes for the event? Please contact Arielle Cahill Hassid at newyorkcity@oxfamactioncorps.org.

Chicago:

Join us for the second annual Crop Mob to Spence Farm! Sponsored by Chicago Oxfam Action Corps, White Oak Gourmet, and the Spence Farm Foundation, we'll be celebrating World Food Day helping out on the farm.
Click Here to Register on Eventbrite
You'll be joining other Chicago area residents who are committed to a sustainable food supply. We'll be taking a bus from Chicago to Spence Farm 100 miles south of Chicago. Spence Farm in Livingston County was first settled in 1830. You'll be joining the Travis Family; Marty, Kris, and Will, descendants of the original settlers. We'll assist them with harvesting organic farm produce and with fall clean-up chores around the farm. Spence Farm supplies leading restaurants in Chicago like Frontera Grill and Blackbird with specialty produce and its famous Iroquois corn.
Because the farms are typically family owned and operated, most of the labor is done by hand. The term "Crop Mob" was coined by city dwellers who have an interest in sustainable agriculture and would like to help more than just by going to the farmer's market or joining a CSA. The "Crop Mob" gives the farmer(s) a valuable source of volunteer labor.
You'll need to bring the following for the trip:
Packed Lunch
Hand held gardening or pruning shears to help with the harvestng
Sturdy shoes or boots and a change of socks.
Gardening or work gloves.
A re-fillable water bottle.
A hat & sunscreen.
A sweater or light jacket.
Snacks for the trip down and return home.
Money in case you'd like purchase some products from the farm.
Spence Farm will provide beverages and snacks.
Children are welcome, however, but because the bus trip is 2 hours, and the inherent risks of working on a farm, this trip is more appropriate for children over 12 years of age.
The bus will depart from City Provisions Deli & Catering, located at 1818 W. Wilson, Chicago (Ravenswood) at 9:00 a.m., so please arrive No Later than 8:30 a.m

For those traveling to City Provisions via the CTA, they are just steps away from the Damen Brown Line stop, and the Damen bus. For those in vehicles, There's parking for your car anywhere in the gravel parking lot behind the shop (please don't park under the EL! City Provisions cannot be responsible for damage caused by tar falling from the tracks). For those on bikes, there are ample bike racks to lock your bike securely for the duration of the day.

Questions, need to carpool in from the 'burbs? Don't hesitate to phone Organizer Tom Leavitt at 847-754-0708.
Click Here to Register on Eventbrite

"Imagine if food could talk. What would your rice tell you?"

2011-09-30T13:30:00.000-04:00

This World Food Day, dedicate your dinner to the farmers who produced the food on your plate.

Oxfam America is teaming up with a host of allies across the US and around the globe. We have a simple yet compelling idea—to host a Sunday Dinner October 16 that fosters a conversation about where your food comes from, who cultivates it, and how we can make the food system more just and sustainable. Order your free materials by October 12.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, food activist and author Frances Moore Lappé, and activist and organic farmer Ellen Walsh-Rosmann invite you to host your own Sunday Dinner:

How to host a Sunday Dinner:

Decide what kind of gathering you want. How many people? What kind of food? Have a potluck and ask everyone to bring their favorite dish. You can also make a dish contributed by chefs such as Giada De Laurentiis, Mark Bittman, Eric Yost, José Andrés , and the Mennonite Central Committee, or these cheap recipes for Slow Food USA's $5 Challenge.
Decide on the time and place and get the word out in order to get your guest count.
Order Free Materials for your dinner by Oct. 12. We have World Food Day place mats to use at your table and sets of recipe cards to give out to your guests. For large events we have posters, stickers, and more.
Use our Sunday Dinner Discussion Guide to facilitate the conversation during your dinner.
Before your guests leave, ask them to join the Oxfam America Mobile Action Network. Text OXFAM to 30644 and we’ll send you critical updates about how you can help during global emergencies, take action when Congress is debating important legislation, and join us when there are Oxfam events in your area. Text STOP at any time to unsubscribe.

Seattle supporters get together for GROW campaign

2011-09-14T16:07:00.000-04:00

On a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Seattle, Oxfam Action Corps hosted a training on the GROW campaign. Oxfam supporters and friends from various organizations got together to discuss how best to address the root causes of global hunger, speaking and learing from a wealth of experience and perspectives. Our group included students, retirees, doctors, researchers, musician-moms, and even newlyweds! Thank to all for spending your sunny afternoon indoors with us. Special thanks also to members of the Borgen Project and Global Washington for participating.

We’re looking forward to making an impact together. Anyone who wants to get started right away can click here to download materials to host a World Food Day Sunday Dinner in October, and to sign-up online for updates and invites from the Seattle Oxfam Action Corps.

"Memorable," "Powerful," Life-changing"

2011-09-12T12:22:00.000-04:00

That's how people describe an Oxfam America Hunger Banquet event.

Oxfam Action Corps members, along with hundreds of Oxfam supporters nationwide, will organize events like these in October and November. Will you too?

Click here to host one in your community.

Expanding the border of local food advocates

2011-09-09T11:19:00.002-04:00

Reposted from Ode Magazine.
Written by Desiree Thayer of San Francisco bay Area Oxfam Action Corps.

Expanding the border of local food advocates

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Thousands of people, mostly women and children, have been walking for days. Not just a day or two, they've been walking for fifteen to twenty days, bound for Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya. Many of the women have lost children to hunger during the trek or taken unaccompanied minors (likely orphans) found along the way into their care. All of these people were in utter desperation to leave their homes and come to a camp in such a remote place for food and water. There are now 400,000 people in Dadaab. The influx of 9,000 people per week is taxing on the resources of the camp.

The ongoing food crisis in East Africa, including Kenya and Ethiopia and the famine in parts of Somalia, is affecting over 11 million people and the result of a series of circumstances. In Somalia, a two-year drought devastated harvests and depleted livestock. This in turn led to record food prices beyond the reach of many. There is also internal conflict in Somalia, tied to a lack of basic infrastructure and social services.

Of course emergency humanitarian relief is needed to save lives now. But equally important is the need to address underlying problems to achieve long-term solutions.

Overall this is an issue of food and power. There is enough food produced to feed everyone but still nearly 1 billion people go to bed hungry every night. The food system is broken, and we need to change the way we grow and share food so everyone has enough to eat.

Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, there are many great efforts to change our local food system and how we eat. We have support for eating local and organic food through farmers’ markets and community supported agriculture, more people taking part in urban gardening in community gardens or their own backyard, many chefs in our restaurants who prepare local and sustainable foods, and efforts to reform school lunches. And from travels to other cities and regions, I’ve witnessed the local food movement’s presence from coast to coast.

Much like the benefits we will reap locally and nationally by moving to more sustainable agriculture and supporting local farmers, these same advantages are desirable to the global food system. Most of the hungry in developing countries are actually small-scale food producers (farmers, pastoralists, fishers). So in order to help those who are vulnerable to hunger, there should be investment in small-scale food producers, protection of their rights to land and other natural resources, and support to maintain resilience through climate change and food price increases.

When it comes to the food movement here, a common saying is “Think globally, act locally.” It’s time for local food advocates to embrace the global food system and to push for changes by focusing on local efforts here and abroad. “Think globally, act locally and support global reform.”

Oxfam’s GROW campaign aims to build a better food system: one that sustainably feeds a growing population (estimated to reach nine billion by 2050) and empowers poor people to earn a living, feed their families, and thrive. Learn more and take the GROW pledge on Oxfam America’s website. Take action today at www.oxfamamerica.org/grow

Photo: Neil Palmer (CIAT)

posted by THAYERD on 8/17/2011 11:59 am | COMMENTS (54)

Spreading GROW Message with Ra Ra Riot!

2011-08-23T16:50:00.004-04:00

by Brittany Collins, Oxfam America Community Engagement Intern

Chilling with rock stars while saving the world—aka, just another day at my internship. On Friday August 12, I had my first Oxfam America concert volunteering opportunity. Ra Ra Riot, Jack's Mannequin, and Guster partnered with Reverb, a non-profit based in Portland, Maine that strives to make concert tours as environmentally friendly as possible, for their summer tour. In turn, Reverb invited Oxfam America to table at their shows. My favorite part of the Reverb concert experience? Two words: free water. Not being forced to pay five bucks for a bottle of water when you already have your own reusable, eco-friendly water bottle is, to borrow from Maine’s state motto, the way life should be. I was also very encouraged to hear that a good number of the concert-goers had participated in the ride-share program to arrive to the show.

We tabled alongside Climate Counts, a non-profit that assigns scores to companies across the globe on their climate impact in an effort to encourage consumers to be conscious and make informed purchases as well as to urge the companies themselves to be environmentally responsible. With such environmentally-friendly people surrounding us, Oxfam America was excited to bring an international perspective to the table (pun intended).

Oxfam America’s Senior Advisor of Music Outreach, Bob Ferguson, held down our table while my friend, Oxfam America volunteer Delia Harrington, and I canvassed the crowd informing concert-goers about global food injustice and specifically the Herger-Crowley Ethanol Subsidy Repeal Act (HR 2307) that Oxfam America supports. We collected 120 petition signatures in support of HR 2307 (show your support by signing the online petition!). We were thrilled to see that most people were very receptive to the GROW campaign as a whole and supportive of ending tax credits and subsidies to the corn ethanol industry. Many were unaware that diverting cropland to ethanol production is one major cause of rising food prices that are putting basic food staples out of reach for the world’s poorest people.

Volunteer Delia Harrington and Community Engagement Intern Brittany Collins
with Ra Ra Riot at the Oxfam America booth

The highlight of the night (barely edging out our giving a pair of Guster Meet and Greet passes to two incredibly appreciative diehard Guster fans/Oxfam supporters) was hosting dedicated Oxfam supporters Ra Ra Riot at our table for an autograph signing. Fans lined up and inquired about Oxfam while waiting for their chance to chat with Ra Ra. It’s great to have an awesome band like them on board with us-- we immensely appreciate their support and are excited to continue working with them in the future!

Ra Ra Riot, Jack’s Mannequin, and Guster all put on excellent shows, and the night was capped off with a hilarious surprise appearance by “Saturday Night Live” star Will Forte, who performed a unique rendition of Foreigner’s “I Want To Know What Love Is” with Guster. All in all, an amazing evening of spreading Oxfam’s message and experiencing great performances!

Inspiring Action at the Core of CHANGE

2011-08-04T17:32:00.000-04:00

by Caitlin DiMaina, Oxfam America Community Engagement Intern

I stood behind a table covered in Oxfam Action Corps and GROW materials, munching on some sweet barbeque at dusk on a Sunday in July at Eastern Nazarene College, just south of Boston in Quincy, MA. Sprawled over picnic tables, benches, and the grass were over 60 people, including a group of 50 college students; Oxfam America staff and interns, and facilitators for the CHANGE Initiative 2011. This is the highly competitive national student leadership program that trains college students to become actively engaged with Oxfam America’s work. Its goals: to broaden perspectives, inspire action, and shape a new generation of global citizens.

Tabling for new 2011 CHANGE leaders at the barbecue.

From my vantage point behind the table about Action Corps grassroots organizing, it was a fantastic view. I saw passionate college students engaging in stimulating conversation about world issues such as extractive industries and food justice, the grassroots growing before my eyes. Dreams to create change were bubbling up and over, flooding into solid ideas for action on college campuses across the U.S.

The Oxfam Action Corps together with CHANGE Leaders make the perfect combination to build our constituency and reach out to youth and adults alike. From taking political action by advocating for Oxfam’s campaigns to members of Congress, to organizing tabling at concerts and holding awareness events on campus, these two groups help Oxfam cast a wide net to not only garner support, but also encourage others to ACT FAST and live Oxfam’s mission.

This week our goal is to get these two groups of activists connected and talking. We’re making some introductions via email and can’t wait to see the new additions to our ‘Oxfamily’ begin to work together to end poverty and injustice.

For your reference, below is the list of the colleges and universities of the 2011CHANGE Leaders; for the Oxfam Action Corps cities, please see the left sidebar on this blog for a list linked to each city's own blog or Facebook.

University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Loyola University Maryland

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Macalester College

Elon University

University of Vermont

St. Michael's College

University of South Florida

Buena Vista University

University of Iowa

University of Idaho

DePaul University

Northwestern University

Indiana University

Washburn University

Berea College

Union College

Tulane University

Loyola Marymount University

University of California Santa Cruz

University of Southern California

Wesleyan University

Boston University

Northeastern University

Smith College

SUNY Stoney Brook

The New School

Samford University

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Arizona State University

American University

Georgetown University

North Dakota State University

University of New Hampshire

The College of William and Mary

Virginia Tech

West Virginia Wesleyan College

University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Rider University

Bucknell University

Delaware Valley College

Villanova University

University of Tennessee-Knoxville

University of Texas, Austin

University of Wyoming

University of New Mexico

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

John Carroll University

Ohio University

Ohio State University

Des Moines Volunteers for the Community and Small Farmers

2011-07-26T16:19:00.000-04:00

It wasn't even half way through July and Des Moines Oxfam Action Corps had volunteered at two events and tabled at the Drake Farmers Market in support of the GROW Campaign. This is the momentum and enthusiasm we love to see coming from our Action Corps cities as the GROW Campaign takes root across the US and worldwide. Oxfam officially launched the GROW Campaign in June 2011.

Action Corps Organizers Cathy Vrentas and Stephen Lauer
collecting donations for the DMARC Red Barrel Program.

The first event was volunteering in the Des Moines suburb, Ankeny, with Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) and their Red Barrel Program. These red barrels are in local grocery stores to collect food items to stock the DMARC Emergency Food Pantries, along with accepting cash contributions toward the program. The Action Corps volunteered at a 'Sack Saturday,' which encourages not only monetary and food donations, but also the more valuable donation of 'hunger sacks,' $5.00 grocery bags containing the most needed items. Stephen and Amy, Oxfam Action Corps Organizers wrote: "We got the results from our efforts on Saturday...drum roll....717 food items collected and $155.68 in cash." The DMARC representative told the Des Moines Oxfam Action Corps: "That is an exceptionally high food collection, even for that store, so you should be very pleased with the results. We are!" The Des Moines Oxfam Action Corps wants to thank all of the volunteers that came out to help! And a BIG thank you to the generous folks in Ankeny for donating items/money.

100 pounds of green beans picked by the Des Moines Action Corps.

A couple days later, the Action Corps headed to St. Timothy's Faith and Grace church garden in West Des Moines for their second event to harvest vegetables. Last year St. Timothy's donated 4,000 pounds of fresh, organic, local vegetables to feed local hungry people. Their goal this year is to donate 10,000 pounds of these vegetables. What a perfect fit with the GROW Campaign's five-point plan for the United States to immediately take action to reduce food insecurity. Point one states: invest in small-scale food producers. What if the people who grew the world's food actually had enough to feed themselves and earn a living? We need to make sure the US Government supports programs related to this point and ensures the Feed the Future initiative will live up to its principles.
Results from the harvest: 100 pounds of green beans and 84 ears of sweet corn picked in 2 hours by 5 Oxfam Action Corps volunteers. Way to go! Many thanks to all who came out.

Tonight, July 26, Oxfam America Agriculture Advocacy Lead, Jim French, will be in Des Moines at Smokey Row Coffee shop on Cottage Grove Avenue at 7:00 PM CDT, sharing information and discussing food and agricultural policy within the US and globally. All are welcome to attend!

From left to right, five Des Moines Oxfam Action Corps volunteers with their yield:
Amy Luebbert, Lance Massey, Stephen Lauer, Lucas McMillan, and Joanna Winston.

From Washington, DC: Growing the GROW Campaign

2011-07-23T10:06:00.001-04:00

by Nickolas Johnson, San Francisco Bay Action Corps Organizer and Economic Justice Intern for Oxfam America's Washington, DC office

With the 24-hour news cycles constantly discussing the debt ceiling and the nation’s budget woes, it is easy to tune out much of what is said from either side of the aisle. Regardless, I go out of my way to catch new developments and updates from the President, but even I was surprised by what he mentioned at one of his recent press conferences.

“So I think there are ways that you can essentially take a little over a trillion dollars in serious discretionary cuts, meaningful discretionary cuts, and then start building on top of that some cuts in non-health care mandatory payments, ethanol programs...”

Not once had I heard the Administration suggest cutting ethanol programs prior to this conference. Looking back, it was a welcome surprise.

Eliminating ethanol subsides is particularly important to me due to my activism in fighting global hunger. My activism has led me to the Oxfam Action Corps, which I have been a part of for just over a year. I joined as a volunteer and am now the co-leader of the San Francisco Bay Area Action Corps.

Currently, I have been working with Oxfam America’s Policy and Campaigns team as the Economic Justice Intern in Washington, DC. As the Economic Justice Intern, I focus on Oxfam’s most recent and ambitious campaign: GROW.

One of GROW’s campaign goals is for the government to make cuts to its ethanol programs. I joined the GROW team right before its launch and have witnessed the campaign come a long way since then. To have President Obama start mainstream political discourse on cutting ethanol programs is a huge achievement for GROW considering the campaign’s recency.

This experience has showed me that Oxfam’s seeds of ideas can lead to substantive change with hard work and dedication. During my internship, I have been lucky enough to be exposed to and work on the beginning of a new and exciting venture. Seeing ideas take shape into concrete plans and actions, and seeing my fellow Action Corps members help launch the GROW campaign across the country has made me proud to be part of this effo rt.

It was during President Obama’s speech that I had seen the arc of idea to change. I have seen the seed of an idea grow through many of its incarnations to the brink of a full-fledged flower of change. Although we do not know the future of ethanol subsidies, the message to cut the programs has been sent. It is this experience that has deepened my belief in Oxfam and has sparked an even bigger excitement to further and build a bigger and stronger Bay Area Action Corps.

Nickolas Johnson with Oxfam staff at the GROW launch on Capital Hill

Famine Declared in Somalia

2011-07-21T15:17:00.000-04:00

We'd like to thank Oxfam Action Corps Columbus for writing the first blog post about the recently UN declared famine in Somalia, and discussing the connection it has to our GROW Campaign.

Although the Action Corps does not work direcly with our Humanitarian Response team, we felt it necessary and urgent to post this information about what Oxfam is doing in our blog. If you would like to donate or find out more information immediately, click here to be directed to Oxfam America's webpage dedicated to the East African food crisis.

What Oxfam is Doing
As a severe drought and food crisis grip East Africa, Oxfam is aiming to help a quarter of the 12 million people now affected in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia. Our goal is to reach three million in dire need of clean water, food, and basic sanitation.

July 2011

Kenya

In Kenya, we are aiming to help 1.3 million people with a variety of support including clean water for them and veterinary care for their animals. We are drilling and repairing wells and distributing fuel vouchers to ensure that pumps on the wells can keep operating—even if people have no money.

About 900,000 animals—essential assets for 18,000 families—are benefitting from veterinary care provided by Oxfam. And to ensure that families can get some income from their livestock, Oxfam has launched a “destocking” program to buy some of the weakest goats and sheep. Oxfam then slaughters the animals and distributes the meat to the community.

Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, our goal is to support about one million people, helping to ensure they have clean water and their animals receive veterinary care. We are drilling wells and working with people to improve their traditional methods for collecting rain water.

In the driest areas we have been trucking in emergency water supplies to more than 32,000 people, and community health workers have been conducting public health campaigns to slow the spread of waterborne diseases such as diarrhea.

Oxfam is also ensuring that 500,000 heads of cattle have access to water, pasture, and vaccinations.

Somalia

In the worst-hit areas of Somaliland, we are working with local partners to provide emergency water trucks to bring clean water to villages where all other sources have dried up. Oxfam engineers are also repairing wells in areas where there is water still available.

In parts of south central Somalia and the Lower Juba region – where the drought is at its worst and the conflict makes access for international aid agencies extremely dangerous – local Oxfam partners are trucking in water and working to keep animals healthy.

In Mogadishu, the capital, we support feeding centers for thousands of malnourished children, and provide life-saving equipment such as water, beds and X-ray machines to Somalia’s only functioning children’s hospital.

Oxfam's goal is to reach 3 million people. Your support can help us get there.

From the Big Apple to Green Mountains

2011-07-18T16:35:00.001-04:00

July 2011 Retreat in Vermont!

Oxfam Action Corps NYC 7/17/11; by Volunteer, Megan McGee

Oxfam Action Corps New York City on the retreat grounds in Manchester, VT.

Last weekend, July 8th - 10th, Oxfam Action Corps NYC went on its first annual retreat at a cabin in Manchester, Vermont, where we discussed our new campaign, welcomed new members to the group, and got to know each other better. Over the two days, members learned more about Oxfam’s new GROW Campaign, an international effort to improve the food system. We made significant progress deciding how best to promote this important issue and affect policy change to make certain that the world’s poorest people have access to food.

The retreat was also a time to have fun and enjoy each other as friends. We were fortunate enough to have beautiful weather and spent time swimming, hiking, and picnicking.

The retreat was enjoyed by all who attended. Oxfam Action Corps NYC plans to make the retreat an annual event.

Oxfam Action Corps: Meet Vermont

2011-07-14T17:09:00.000-04:00

Burlington, VT - Driving along the winding Route 89 North, past forest covered mountains, low clouds frosting the tops, the sun's light magnifying all the shades of green from summer leaves, Burlington and Vermont as a whole provided a perfect backdrop for action to protect the Earth and its ability to provide for all of us – especially those who are hungry and poor.

Brittany Winslow, tabling on Church Street, June 30th,

2011. Church Street runs through the heart of downtown

Burlington; Winslow speaks with a pedestrian about the

GROW Campaign.

This June the Burlington Oxfam Action Corps teamed up with a few Oxfam staffers for two packed, energized days to meet with allied organizations, build ideas for the Burlington Corps, and get some roots down in the Vermont earth for the GROW Campaign. We’d like to thank the supportive volunteers and friends of Oxfam that joined us for brainstorming and planning. We also want to give a huge thanks for the local leaders who gave us time to meet and learn about their stellar work, including: Nancy Lynch, Assistant to the Secretary of State, Jim Condos; Betsy Hardy, Coordinator for Vermont Interfaith Power and Light; Janice Nadworny, Development Director at the Intervale Center; Anna Guyton, activist-at-large and former Manager of Mission and Programs for the Peace and Justice Center; Lisa Long, Development Director for Hunger Free Vermont; and Linda Berlin, Executive Director for the University of Vermont Center for Sustainable Agriculture. A delicious food shout-out must go to local Burlington eateries: Stone Soup, Muddy Waters, and American Flatbread. Also, after our full first day, a stop at Ben & Jerry’s Burlington Scoop Shop was a necessity (see photo).

Other Vermont activities included Burlington Organizer, Brittany Winslow, and Senior Volunteer and Community Organizer, Brian Rawson, tabling to promote GROW during the busy lunch rush on Church Street. Winslow and Rawson were also back at the Intervale for the kick-off of the first Thursday night Summervale - local food vendors, live music, and completely family friendly. The ‘New Farmers, New Americans’ booth had the best samosas we had ever tasted, a Somalian version of the familiar dish.

Two packed days in Vermont were enough not only for the GROW Campaign to spread its roots among the mountains, farms, local food, and genuine people, but also to teach Oxfam America about the passion and pride Vermonters have for their state. Winslow and the Burlington Corps were left with freshly gleaned inspiration, ready to cultivate GROW and take action to end hunger.

Brian Rawson; Birttany Winslow; and Community Engagement Interns,

Monica Kacprzyk and Caitlin DiMaina, enjoy tasty flavors of

Ben & Jerry'sice cream from the Burlington Scoop Shop.

GROWing Strong, Boston Wills It

2011-07-10T10:34:00.003-04:00

NEW FACES & GROW CAMPAIGN

Boston Oxfam Action Corps 7/7/2011

It's been a while since you last heard from us! We've been making transitions and working on new projects.

First, I'd like to introduce your new Oxfam Boston Action Corps Leaders : Emily Hubbard and Christine Ellersick. We're both thrilled to be a part of this fight for global justice!

We began this journey back in May where we joined other Action Corps leaders from across the country for Oxfam's annual Action Corps leader training in Washington, DC. The time that was spent engaging one another and learning about Oxfam's mission cannot be overlooked. However, most would agree that the most pivotal moment during the training was lobby day. On lobby day we visited Congressman Markey, Congressman Capuano, Senator Brown, and Senator Kerry's offices to express our hope that they will fully support President Obama's 2012 budget that provides essential funding for international programs like Feed the Future and the Global Agricultural Trust Fund. They were receptive and supportive. We hope this enthusiasm will reverberate in Congress!

Now we're back "on the ground." Oxfam has launched a global GROW campaign. The message is simple: The food system is broken. And as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton eloquently states, the issue is not whether we can end global hunger but whether we will. With this fire, we took to the Cambridgeport farmer's market on June 4th to spread awareness about the GROW campaign, where we had five volunteers and were approached by many who were interested in GROW's message.

Nearly one billion people--nearly one sixth of the population--is chronically hungry. Ironically, many of these hungry individuals are small farmers, farmers who don't have the means to cope with climate change and who don't have the bargaining power to demand fair prices for their goods. GROW draws our attention to these staggering facts and asks that we become part of the solution. With these efforts, and others, underway we hope that the answer to Secretary Clinton's query is a resounding, "We will."

Want to get involved? E-mail us at boston@oxfamactioncorps.org

Making Headlines: Columbus Action Corps Op-Ed

2011-07-08T11:14:00.000-04:00

Check out this well written op-ed piece published in The Columbus Dispatch, by Columbus Oxfam Action Corps volunteer, Nancy Prindle!
Fighting poverty vital to U.S. interests
Way to go Nancy!

Fighting poverty vital to U.S. interests

Sunday, June 5, 2011 03:12 AM

The Associated Press article “Public wants its entitlements” in the May 24 Dispatch demonstrated the political backlash that can arise when a powerful group of voters feels vulnerable.

Talk about cutting spending in the abstract is easy. What’s hard is making a reduction that affects a particular constituency.

The budget passed by the U.S. House would reduce U.S. foreign assistance by almost 20 percent, with the lion’s share coming out of programs that could help the poor in developing nations become more productive, more food-secure and less dependent upon future food aid.

We would be smarter and safer and more fiscally responsible to help those folks help themselves.

Global poverty-fighting aid makes up less than 1 percent of the entire federal budget. These cuts would have a devastating impact on the poor.

I hope our Ohio representatives and senators make smart choices that can build a more prosperous and secure world for everyone, not just those with the loudest voices or strongest lobby.

NANCY PRINDLE

Radnor

Live from New York City: Oxfam Action Corps Awareness Concert

2011-07-08T10:37:00.001-04:00

We believe music can change the world. Do you?

If so, it’s time to make some noise. Oxfam is teaming up with volunteers and supporters in the music industry—including musicians, labels, managers, and media—in the fight against poverty and injustice. With the power of many voices speaking together, we can call on companies and legislators to change the laws and practices that keep people in poverty.

Oxfam Action Corps New York City takes music activism into their own hands, by planning and hosting their own awareness concert every year since 2009. This year's took place a couple weeks ago at Union Hall in Brooklyn. Check out what they had to say post-encore:

We had a good turn out with tons of people showing up to listen to Ace Reporter and Under the Elephant. Some of you might remember Ben Jelen, keyboarder for Under the Elephant, ticking away to the Beds Are Burning:

Entrance to the concert was a letter or two to your member of congress.

If you were unable to attend the concert, and/or would like to write your own letter to your representatives, we encourage you to do so.

A sample of one of the letters that was written at the awareness concert can be found here: http://bit.ly/lcpSPz Please feel free to use this as a guide when writing your letters. Remember to sign your name with your address so that your representative knows that you are a constituent.

To learn about other ways to get involved, come to one of our meetings or visit http://www.oxfamamerica.org/whatyoucando/take-action.

If you are interested in volunteering at upcoming concerts or have other questions, please send us an email at newyorkcity@oxfamactioncorps.org - we are always looking for new volunteers.

The national Oxfam Action Corps blog goes live!

2011-06-29T16:28:00.001-04:00

What is the national Oxfam Action Corps blog? Other than a mouthful, it’s a place for all Oxfam supporters to see what is happening across the country and to participate in a community of fellow volunteers. Today our new blog, with its stories to share and interesting experiences to highlight, goes live for the first time. As an Oxfam supporter who has had the chance to intern with the Oxfam Action Corps at the Boston headquarters, I am so excited to be able to present this new way of sharing the Action Corps experience!

Here are some of the things we want to share on this blog:

1) Stories from the Oxfam Action Corps volunteers on the ground. Oxfam America has active groups of Action Corps volunteers in 14 cities across the country, from coast to coast and everywhere in between. As they put on great events, spread the word at the latest concert and educate their communities on the important issues we face, we will highlight some of the great things they do on this blog for everyone to see and be a part of.

2) Individual Actions creating one national movement. As a single volunteer within a single group in one city in America, it can be easy to forget how the actions we take at home contribute to something bigger. Every time an Action Corps volunteer gets a petition signed, or makes a new connection with an ally, this adds to the national and global goals of Oxfam America. Through this blog we can share how all of the individual actions in our communities have had a country wide impact.

3) Reflections from Oxfam supporters and interns. For the first time, we can share what the experience of working at the Oxfam headquarters is like for an Oxfam supporter. As interns we get to take part in fascinating meetings and to watch how all of the Action Corps cities interact and come together. With this new medium, we can share our experiences and discoveries.

4) Place of community. Even though Oxfam Action Corps volunteers come in all types, sizes, ages and careers, there is one very important thing we all have in common: a desire to see the world change for the better. That is a powerful connection and we hope that this blog will help every Oxfam supporter with that goal to feel part of a community that they can share with and participate in.

From big annual events like International Women’s Day, to the daily stories of the Action Corps that table at farmers markets and community events, expect to see a lot from this new National blog and expect take part in all the experiences we have as a social movement for change. To stay even more connected, follow us on twitter and join our group on facebook, and please, share with us too!

GROW campaign successfully launches!

2011-06-29T16:26:00.001-04:00

On June 1st, Oxfam America's GROW campaign officially launched. At the Boston headquarters, I saw a flutter of activity as we got together our GROW materials, brochures and information to be shipped nationwide in order to support our Action Corps volunteer's. However, if I thought I was busy packaging and sending the materials, it was only until I saw how much effort and work the volunteer's put into using them at their launch events! Over the last couple weeks, I've gotten the opportunity to see the pictures and hear the stories of how the Table For 9 Billion launch event went in over a dozen cities.

If you haven't had a chance to read up on the GROW campaign, it takes on the core challenge of fixing a broken food system and centers around the idea that every person deserves enough to eat. In a world that will host 9 billion people by 2050, we must create a new food system in order to feed them all. Even though our world produces enough food for everyone, one person in every seven will still go hungry. Oxfam America believes that hunger is about power, and with awareness and advocacy of Oxfam supporters, we can work towards a world where everyone has the power to feed themselves.

Around the nation, and the world, supporters of the GROW campaign set a Table for 9 billion at farmers markets, community events and town centers to highlight the new campaign and to ask for support from their community. Below we have chosen a few city blog posts which explain how their events went and their experiences with the Table for 9 billion.

If you would like to read more about the city specific events, look to the left side bar for links to all of the Oxfam Action Corps city blogs.

New York GROW Launch Event

2011-06-29T16:23:00.003-04:00

Launch of Oxfam America's GROW Campaign!

Yesterday we launched Oxfam America's new GROW campaign! Oxfam’s GROW campaign aims to build a better food system: one that sustainably feeds a growing population (estimated to reach nine billion by 2050) and empowers poor people to earn a living, feed their families, and thrive.

Events took place around the world to launch the new campaign. In NYC we set up a Table for 9 Billion in Union Square. From 11:30 - 8:30 PM a number of people stopped by the table to learn about the new campaign and show their support. The Oxfam Action Corps NYC collected over 200 signatures! If you were unable to swing by our table yesterday, you can still show your support and sign online.

You can also learn more by reading the campaign report, brochure, or watch a recording of a DC panel of experts talking about the launch of the campaign.

The campaign was also actively posted online. Other #Tablefor9bn took place worldwide. View our pictures from the day and read our Twitter and Facebook posts.

Minneapolis GROW Launch event

2011-06-29T16:23:00.002-04:00

GROW: Food Justice Campaign Launches in Minneapolis

Oxfam Action Corps-Minnesota volunteers staged a fine dinning scene at the Midtown Farmers' Market on Saturday, June 4th. The formal attire, elegant candelabras, and free GROW buttons lured market-goers to the Oxfam table set for nine billion (the estimated human population in 2050). Volunteers took the chance to introduce Oxfam's newest food justice campaign, GROW, to the Minnesota public and garner their support by signing the pledge to help create a world where no one goes hungry.

What is GROW all about? Well, the human population is growing, and with it so is the demand for food. Current power structures prevent one in every seven people from accessing food (i.e., there are 1 billion people on Earth today who go to bed hungry). Armed with the knowledge that our planet produces more than enough food to feed every one of its inhabitants, Oxfam will use GROW to fight for a world free of hunger by targeting five specific areas:

Invest in small-scale food producers
End excessive speculation in agricultural commodities
Modernize food aid
Stop giveaways to the corn-ethanol industry, and
Regulate land and water grabs

By tackling these issues Oxfam will help to build a better food system: one that sustainably feeds a growing population and empowers poor people to earn a living, feed their families, and thrive. Their strategy will be to urge governments and companies to make smarter investment in agriculture and climate preparedness, and create policies and program that protect farmers living in poor and marginalized communities around the world.

You can learn more about the GROW campaign by visiting this link.

Fight for food justice. Take action now by signing the petition here

Albuquerque GROW Launch event

2011-06-29T16:23:00.001-04:00

Table for 9 Billion Launch Event

NM Oxfam Action Corps were out spreading the word about the GROW Campaign last weekend in Nob Hill. We set up a table with information and GROW goodies in front of the La Montanita Co Op. We met some wonderful local ABQ folks who were committed to sustainability, organic agriculture, and food security. Lively conversations about ending hunger, population numbers, and NM activism paired with the amazing early June sun left us feeling energized and productive.

Thanks to La Montanita for giving us table space next to their organic herbs and seedlings, which totally fits with the new GROW Campaign.

A big thank you to everyone who came out and supported the event and the GROW Campaign! More local ABQ and Santa Fe events to come later this summer. Let us know if there's somewhere nearby you think we should show up!

Oxfam Action Corps

Oxfam Action Corps celebrates International Women's Day!

Oxfam Action Corps 2012 Recruitment

An idea that's worth spreading.

COP17: Oxfam Style-- Can Durban be the bridge to a better future on climate change?

Giving thanks to those who harvested the food on our plates today

Say it with sweet potatoes - "don't uproot foreign aid!"

SF Bay Area Oxfam Action Corps Hunger Banquet and "Africa's Last Famine" Screening

Oxfam America Hunger Banquets throughout the U.S.!

Act now! Deep budget cuts put millions at risk

Boston GROW Training and World Food Day Celebration for Local Boston Volunteers

NYC World Food Day Event: "Hunger in a World of Plenty" U.S. Premiere Screening and Panel Discussion

World Food Prize update as we approach World Food Day!

World Food Day Events: Boston, New York City, and Chicago, and more!

"Imagine if food could talk. What would your rice tell you?"

Seattle supporters get together for GROW campaign

"Memorable," "Powerful," Life-changing"

Expanding the border of local food advocates

Expanding the border of local food advocates

Spreading GROW Message with Ra Ra Riot!

Inspiring Action at the Core of CHANGE

Des Moines Volunteers for the Community and Small Farmers

From Washington, DC: Growing the GROW Campaign

Famine Declared in Somalia

Kenya

Ethiopia

Somalia

From the Big Apple to Green Mountains

July 2011 Retreat in Vermont!

Oxfam Action Corps: Meet Vermont

GROWing Strong, Boston Wills It

NEW FACES & GROW CAMPAIGN

Making Headlines: Columbus Action Corps Op-Ed

Check out this well written op-ed piece published in The Columbus Dispatch, by Columbus Oxfam Action Corps volunteer, Nancy Prindle!Fighting poverty vital to U.S. interestsWay to go Nancy!

Live from New York City: Oxfam Action Corps Awareness Concert

The national Oxfam Action Corps blog goes live!

GROW campaign successfully launches!

New York GROW Launch Event

Launch of Oxfam America's GROW Campaign!

Minneapolis GROW Launch event

GROW: Food Justice Campaign Launches in Minneapolis

Albuquerque GROW Launch event

Table for 9 Billion Launch Event

Check out this well written op-ed piece published in The Columbus Dispatch, by Columbus Oxfam Action Corps volunteer, Nancy Prindle!
Fighting poverty vital to U.S. interests
Way to go Nancy!