SF Bay Area Oxfam Action Corps

Monthly meeting Thursday, February 23

2012-02-21T19:09:00.003-08:00

We'll be discussing plans for International Women's Day and our new petition about food aid. Stop by our meeting for more information or to get involved in any way you can!

What: Monthly Meeting
Date: Thursday, February 23, 2012
Time: 6:30 pm
Where: PIQ Berkeley (91 Shattuck Ave, across from Downtown Berkeley BART)

If you know you can come, please send us an RSVP so we know how much space to reserve. But feel free to join us even if you can't RSVP in advance.

Tell big oil companies not to stand in the way of transparency rules!

2012-02-14T10:10:00.000-08:00

What if you lived on just $2 a day, struggling to feed your family, keep your kids in school and merely survive – while down the road, oil and mining companies were making millions from selling your community's natural resources, the profits from which you might never see?

That's a daily reality for 1.5 billion people. They deserve better – and they just might get it.

Oxfam and supporters fought together for years for a new law that requires oil and mining companies to open their books and stop hiding secret payments to local governments. Thanks to people like you, the law mandating these new rules was passed by Congress in 2010. This law will help poor citizens in countries around the world combat corruption and ensure that oil payments go where they're needed most.

But right now, as the law is about to be implemented, big oil companies may sue to stop it. With enough public outcry, we can pressure these companies to stop fighting transparency, accept Congress's rules and open their books.

Tell big oil companies not to stand in the way of transparency rules!

Right now, oil and mining companies' contributions to local communities often include environmental damages, loss of land and human rights abuses. Living on top of valuable resources doesn't necessarily mean that communities living in poverty get a share of the wealth. Instead of going into the community, the profits too often go straight into the pockets of corrupt individuals.

Communities living in poverty don't need handouts. They just need simple access to information so they can fight for themselves, their families and the future of their communities. Putting the law into force could finally give them that chance.

We need to raise our voices NOW to let the big oil companies know that they can't fight progress. We'll show them we're watching, and make them think twice about how they handle this situation.

Oxfam has worked too hard and come too far to let companies like Chevron, Exxon and ConocoPhillips take this victory away from us now. Everyone has had their say and now the Securities and Exchange Commission is almost ready to enact the regulations. Oxfam has been fighting almost two years since the law was passed to see this change implemented – two years of polluted water, of destroyed homes, of government corruption. We can't wait another minute – there's too much at stake.

Will you add your voice today? Demand that oil companies stop fighting transparency.

Together, we can fight back against oil company influence, shine a light on corruption and set a new standard of openness and accountability.

More information on this topic is available here.

Oxfam America performed a stunt in Washington, DC recently to bring awareness to this transparency issue. Check out photos from the stunt.

Next monthly meeting is Thursday, January 26th

2012-01-20T18:24:00.000-08:00

We have lots of upcoming events, including International Women's Day and concert outreach (Coldplay!). Stop by our meeting for more info or to get involved in any way you can!

This is also the time of year for Oxfam Action Corps recruiting. See this previous blog post for more info. Be sure to sign up by February 14th!

What: Monthly Meeting
Date: Thursday, January 26, 2012
Time: 6:30 pm
Where: PIQ Berkeley (91 Shattuck Ave, between University Ave & Addison St)

If you know you can come, please send us an RSVP so we know how much space to reserve. But please join us even if you can't RSVP in advance!

No more corn ethanol tax credits

2012-01-17T11:21:00.000-08:00

Thanks to you, the 30-year, $6 billion handout for corn ethanol is gone! You raised your voices with the GROW campaign and - together with other supporters across the country - sent over 38,000 letters, emails, and petitions to Congress to end harmful biofuel subsidies - and it worked!

Shawnee Hoover, a policy advisor at Oxfam America, wrote a great blog about the battle to end tax breaks for corn ethanol. We're re-posting her article below or you can find it here. Thank you to all our supporters who signed petitions and contacted Congress on this important issue that affected food prices and hunger.

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Celebrating wins, with political spins
by Shawnee Hoover, policy advisor, Oxfam America

After a long, hard-fought battle, the $6 billion tax break for corn ethanol known as VEETC (or the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit), has lapsed after Congress passed on extending it. And as a result, a collective sigh of relief may be heard around the world by hunger advocates, as one burden is lifted on high food prices and hunger.

In Washington, the ethanol industry is spinning the loss as a win, claiming they voluntarily gave up the tax credit for the good of the nation. The ethanol industry’s most prominent representative, Bob Dinneen of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), spun the defeat by claiming to be “the first industry ever to give up a tax credit” saying their “sacrifice” came willingly for the “greater good.” The truth is that the industry fought tooth and nail for every last dollar right up to the end in 2011.

In fact, as recently as September 2011, RFA sent a letter pleading to the Co-Chair of the budget-cutting Congressional super committee not to cut the remaining tax credit. Doing so, they warned, would result in “market disruption.”

In March last year, Tom Buis, the CEO of another ethanol trade group Growth Energy, said that a bipartisan Senate proposal to end VEETC would risk the production of US ethanol and “be even more disruptive and more costly to our consumers and to our economy.” That’s not exactly voluntarily giving up the tax credit for the greater good of the people.

For years, a coalition of strange bedfellows has worked together to educate Congress about the multiple ills of corn ethanol production mandates and the tax incentive. Oxfam supporters did their part last year by sending nearly 40,000 emails, letters and petitions calling on Congress to end VEETC. Without fail, every single effort by Congress to reform or repeal the tax credit over the years was fought by the industry, who instead proposed replacing it with billions more in industry subsidies.

If the industry was really concerned with the greater good, they would stop trying to expand corn ethanol production and start investing in a transition to next-generation biofuels that aren’t made from corn or any other food crop. Instead, they’ve been lobbying to redefine corn ethanol as an “advanced biofuel” so it can qualify for more subsidies.

For anti-poverty, development groups like Oxfam, the biggest problem with US corn ethanol production is the impact it has on raising food prices and exacerbating global hunger. It’s basic supply and demand: diverting corn for fuel means corn for food becomes more expensive.

Since the US is the largest corn producer and exporter in the world, it drives global corn prices. So when US policy diverts 40% of US corn production to be used for fuel instead of food, it essentially makes 15% of the world’s corn unavailable for food.

We of course welcome the ethanol industry in celebrating the ending of VEETC. But, for us, it’s just a first step in solving the crux of the problem. The next step is for Congress to create a more effective and rational US biofuels policy by coming to terms with the main driver of corn ethanol production in this country—the mandate in the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). The mandate is heavily weighted toward traditional corn ethanol production and as such, artificially creates a demand for corn and increases prices.

Will the ethanol industry join the party for reforming RFS?

Oxfam Action Corps 2012 Recruitment

2011-12-20T19:04:00.000-08:00

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:

Last monthly meeting of 2011

2011-12-02T18:45:00.001-08:00

With the holidays approaching, we're having one last meeting before the new year. Please come join us in Berkeley as we plan events and outreach for the first few months of 2012. We're interested in hearing what you'd like our Action Corps to do, so let us know your ideas!

What: Monthly Meeting
Date: Thursday, December 8, 2011
Time: 6:30 pm
Where: PIQ Berkeley (91 Shattuck Ave, between University Ave & Addison St)

If you know you can come, please send us an RSVP at sanfrancisco@oxfamactioncorps.org so we know how much space to reserve. But please join us even if you can't RSVP in advance!

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

2011-11-22T18:22:00.000-08:00

Today and in coming days, Congress is debating cuts to life-saving foreign aid. Our local Action Corps and Oxfam volunteer leaders are delivering petitions to Senate offices across the country 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.

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!

We delivered sweet potatoes along with 3,877 signatures and several handwritten letters from constituents to Senator Feinstein's and Senator Boxer's local offices. The petition was signed by more than 20,000 people nationwide.

Thank you to all who attended the Film Screening and Hunger Banquet

2011-11-15T14:59:00.000-08:00

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's available 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!

Monthly meeting tomorrow, October 27

2011-10-26T10:23:00.000-07:00

First, a quick reminder that our monthly meeting is tomorrow, October 27 at 6:30 pm at Borderlands Cafe (870 Valencia St, SF). We're planning a Film Screening and Hunger Banquet for November, so please stop by if you'd like to get involved!

Also, this video does a great job explaining the problems with the broken food system and solutions underway to change it. It's an animated story describing many points of Oxfam's GROW campaign.

Finally, take online action here to urge Congress to fully fund poverty-focused development assistance in the FY12 International Affairs Budget.

Free Film Screening and Oxfam Hunger Banquet

2011-10-20T11:01:00.000-07:00

We're hosting a free screening of Africa's Last Famine along with an Oxfam Hunger Banquet in November. RSVP now and join us!

What: Free Film Screening and Oxfam Hunger Banquet
Date: Sunday, November 13, 2011
Time: 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Where: David Brower Center, Tamalpais Room
2150 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA 94704
RSVP: sanfrancisco@oxfamactioncorps.org

Screening of Africa’s Last Famine, a co-production of Oxfam America and LinkTV:
Sadly, World Food Day 2011 was marked by one of the worst famines in recent history. But, with the right planning and a few new ideas, it could be the last. This 22 minute film features recent stories from the Horn of Africa and beyond, and including solutions being implemented around the world to prove that hunger isn't inevitable.

Oxfam America Hunger Banquet:
Guests randomly draw tickets when they arrive that assign them to different income levels, based on the latest statistics about the number of people living in poverty. While not all guests leave with full stomachs, many will gain a new perspective on the root causes of hunger and poverty—and will feel motivated to do something to help.

Why?
Everyone on earth has the same basic needs; it is only our circumstances— where we live and the culture into which we are born—that differ. Some are born into relative prosperity and security, while millions, through no choice of their own, are born into poverty.

We are all tied to a global food system that is broken. Yet there is a strong and growing movement of individuals and organizations working to repair and improve the system. In a world facing the challenges of the current famine in East Africa, constrained land and water, and an erratic climate, one of the best ways to combat global food insecurity is to invest in farmers and remove the barriers that limit their productivity. Please join us to learn more about the issues, the solutions, and how you can help!

Food donations from:

World Food Prize, final post

2011-10-14T23:22:00.000-07:00

Today was my final day at the World Food Prize. Though the other Oxfam Action Corps organizers and staff are staying until tomorrow to attend tonight's Oxfam Hunger Banquet and tomorrow's Des Moines farmers' market, I'm heading back to San Francisco.

This Morning we heard the laureate keynote address by the former President of Brazil, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva. An energetic and charismatic speaker, President Lula described government programs he instituted to address poverty and hunger, including the Zero Hunger programs. With the goal of eradicating hunger by 2015 in Brazil, several complementary programs addressing food security, health, education, and gender equality were combined to improve social inclusion of the poor. President Lula is serious about ending hunger, saying that "fighting hunger is government responsibility" and that "hunger is the worst weapon of mass destruction in the world". His plans are a combination of social inclusion and economic development, and he highlighted the benefit to all of Brazil's society by bringing more people to their domestic market and improving their economy. Though I cringe to think that the developing countries will make similar mistakes as us by relying on consumerism, it's true that as the poor are lifted out of poverty, they become consumers and strengthen the economy. At least President Lula mentioned the benefit of responsible consumerism and also voiced his support to regulate the international financial system, urging the G20 to make such a political decision. His speech ended with his experience putting forth policies to help the poor. He remarked how all his social inclusion programs were considered government spending, but giving to big business and the rich was considered investment. He considers the money he used for programs for the poor to be government investment, disliking the negative differentiation as spending.

Following President Lula's address, we went to Marshalltown Community College were we learned about their Entrepreurial and Diversified Ag program. We had a delicious vegetarian lunch made with local vegetables, fruits, and herbs, and our guest farmers - Silas Samson Biru from Ethiopia and Nelly Velandia from Colombia - shared their stories with Marshalltown students and educators. During lunch, I sat at a table with several others, including a Marshalltown freshman student in the program. He explained how he grew up on a nearby farm of about 1000 acres, which he said was medium-sized as some of his neighbors had farms of 5000 acres. An Oxfam America staff member originally from Uganda was also at our table and commented on food and agriculture in Uganda. He discussed how the average size farm in Uganda is probably around 2 acres, with only 10% of farms at least 10 acres in size and about 50% of farms at least 5 acres. What a shock to hear the difference in size of farms in Iowa compared to Uganda! And to realize that most farmers in Uganda, similar to much of the developing world, have so little land to grow enough food to feed their families with a little extra to sell. Once again we were reminded of why it's so important to invest in small-scale farmers in developing countries, so that farmers like Silas and Nelly have resources available (such as land, water, seeds), build resilience in their farming, and have access to markets with a fair price for their crops.

With so many aspects of agriculture and food discussed at this year's World Food Prize, there is much for me to digest (pun intended!) as I return to the Bay Area and share my experiences with our local Action Corps. Join us in the GROW campaign and add your name to the online petition telling Congress you oppose cuts to poverty-focused development assistance.

Please feel free to email us if you'd like to join us in our support of farmers around the world to enable changes to our food system to ensure everyone has enough to eat.

World Food Prize, continued

2011-10-13T19:50:00.000-07:00

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 without well-formed exit strategies. 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 Prize

2011-10-12T19:56:00.000-07:00

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.

Oxfam at Treasure Island Music Festival

2011-10-08T19:51:00.000-07:00

Join the Oxfam Action Corps at the Treasure Island Music Festival this Saturday and Sunday. Will will have free CDs and online downloads to give away along with great information and material for our GROW campaign. Most importantly, stop by to sign our petition telling congress NOT to cut life saving aid! It will be a great weekend, see you there!

www.treasureislandfestival.com

Oxfam at the Slow Money National Conference

2011-10-08T18:29:00.000-07:00

The San Francisco Bay Area Oxfam Action Corps will be attending the 3rd annual Slow Money National Gathering in San Francisco. We will be sharing GROW campaign materials and sharing news on our upcoming events across the Bay Area. Nick (me) will be attending so look for me wearing an Oxfam shirt and say hi.

www.slowmoney.org/national-gathering/

Are you ready for World Food Day?

2011-10-05T09:17:00.000-07:00

A few updates for World Food Day (Sunday, October 16):

1) During your Sunday dinner on World Food Day, have a conversation about where your food comes from and how we can change the food system so everyone has enough to eat. There are placemats, recipe cards, and a discussion guide for you to download and print on this webpage.

2) If you host or attend a Sunday Dinner, post your photos or videos from the event to Oxfam America's Photobook and be automatically entered to win a locally-made prize from one of Oxfam's regions! The random drawing will be held in early December.

3) Thank you to Buddhist Global Relief for partnering with Oxfam for World Food Day!

Farmers' market outreach this weekend

2011-09-30T10:34:00.000-07:00

We'll be at the Inner Sunset Farmers' Market on Sunday (9am-1pm)!

We have info about the GROW campaign and placemats/recipes to share for you to host a Sunday dinner on World Food Day (Oct. 16).

Come stop by our table!

Call-in day of action to save foreign aid

2011-09-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

Life-saving funding is on the line – and your call could be the one to save it!

Congress is threatening to cut support for poverty-fighting foreign assistance, including for programs that:

Feed more than 46 million of the world's poorest people,
Prevent more than 114,000 children from being born with HIV,
Save 3 million lives through immunization programs, and
Help poor people lift themselves out of poverty.

It's up to us to speak up for those whose lives are changed – and saved – by this funding. Congress is about to finalize the budget for next year and years to come. Before they do, we need you to make a quick call to send them a clear message: don't cut poverty-fighting foreign assistance.

Here's how to make your call:

Call the Congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121 and tell the operator your name and where you're calling from. Ask to speak to your Senators – the operator will connect you.
Tell the staffer: "I'm calling to oppose cuts to poverty-focused foreign aid. Reducing funding for these programs won't help our national deficit, but it will have a terrible impact on life-improving and life-saving programs. We must continue to make these investments and give people the tools they need to lift themselves out of poverty – too many lives depend on it."
When you're done, you can call your Representative through the switchboard and ask for their support as well.
Once you've ended your call, email us at sanfrancisco@oxfamactioncorps.org to let us know how it went! You can also fill out this form online.

Monthly meeting on Thursday, September 22

2011-09-16T15:50:00.000-07:00

Our next meeting is coming up soon:

Thursday, September 22

Borderlands Cafe

870 Valencia St, SF

6:30 pm

Come to the meeting to learn about upcoming activities: outreach at Treasure Island Music Festival and other concerts, farmers market tabling, and planning a hunger banquet for the public. We'll have these events before, during, and after World Food Day (October 16) as we continue to gain support for the GROW campaign.

We have lots to do and need your help, so please join us! RSVP to us by email.

Also, if you haven't marked your calendar, go ahead and schedule monthly Bay Area Oxfam Action Corps meetings for the 4th Thursday of the month at 6:30 pm.

Make this World Food Day (Sunday, October 16) a cause for celebration and action!

2011-09-14T10:53:00.000-07:00

Here's a follow-up to last week's post, with more information about resources available to discuss food justice at dinner on World Food Day:

When we sit down to dinner every day, rarely do we realize that our meal depends on a global system that involves people both next door and across oceans. This World Food Day, Oxfam America is teaming up with allies across the USA and around the globe to encourage people to take a simple yet profound action. We’re asking you and thousands of others to dedicate your Sunday Dinner on October 16th to a conversation about where your food comes from, who is behind its cultivation and how we can make the food system more just and sustainable.

Just click on www.oxfamamerica.org/worldfoodday

We are all tied to a global food system that is broken. Yet there is a strong and growing movement of individuals and organizations working to repair and improve the system. In a world facing the challenges of the current famine in East Africa, constrained land and water, and an erratic climate, one of the best ways to combat global food insecurity is to invest in farmers and remove the barriers that limit their productivity.

Creating this awareness is what a World Food Day Sunday Dinner is all about.

For your Sunday World Food Day Dinner this October, Oxfam America will provide free resources so you can host a fun, educational and engaging conversation about food justice, including:

• Recruitment videos from Desmond Tutu, Frances Moore Lappe and Ellen Walsh-Rossman to get your friends, classmates, and neighbors fired up

• A Sunday Dinner discussion guide to give you conversation starters for your event

• Recipe ideas from famous chefs

• Dinner supplies – from placemats to posters and more! See placemat above.

All these and more can be found at www.oxfamamerica.org/worldfoodday

No matter where – or when – you eat, hosting a Sunday Dinner will link you to thousands of supporters across the world who are using their mealtime to change the world on October 16th. In dozens of countries, people like you will gather on that day to share a meal and start a conversation about how we can create a fairer and sustainable food system.

Conversations that start at your dinner table can turn into actions that transform our world. Thanks for being part of this day and please pass on to others!

Dedicate your Sunday dinner on World Food Day to farmers

2011-09-07T18:52:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe it's already September, with World Food Day (October 16) coming soon. I was reminded of this not only because our Oxfam Action Corps is planning events for World Food Day (see previous post), but also since Frances Moore Lappe was in town yesterday for a discussion about her newest book.

Frances Moore Lappe is one of Oxfam America's Sisters on the Planet. I was so glad to be able to thank her in person for the support she's given Oxfam America, particularly with the recent launch of the GROW campaign. And maybe, just maybe, in the future we'll have the opportunity to invite her to an event or table at one of her events when she's in town again. And while looking for information to post regarding Sunday dinners on World Food Day, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Frances Moore Lappe has once again helped Oxfam America:

It's time to start planning your Sunday dinner on World Food Day. Oxfam America has resources available to include a conversation about where your food comes from, who cultivates it, and how we can make the food system more just and sustainable.

Upcoming events

2011-09-01T10:43:00.000-07:00

Here's a re-cap of the events we discussed at our meeting last week. Feel free to email us if you'd like to help plan or attend any of the activities.

Lobby visits to House members: various dates throughout September

Upcoming concerts and music festivals for tabling/outreach:

Identity Festival - Sat, Sep 3, Shoreline in Mountain View

TV on the Radio - Tue, Sep 27, Fox Theater in Oakland

Treasure Island Music Festival - Sat/Sun, Oct 15-16 (Oct 16 is World Food Day)

Farmers market for tabling/outreach:

Inner Sunset - Sun, Oct 2

Hunger Banquet:

Sat or Sun in Nov (tentatively Nov 19 or 20)

Sunday Dinners in honor of World Food Day:

resources available to host your own Sunday Dinner with family/friends and discuss food issues

Next monthly meeting is Thu, Sep 22 at Borderlands Cafe (870 Valencia St, SF) at 6:30 pm.

Monthly meeting this Thursday

2011-08-22T12:32:00.001-07:00

Our next meeting is Thursday, August 25th:

Borderlands Cafe

870 Valencia St, SF

6:30 pm

We have lots of upcoming activities. Come to the meeting to learn about constituent lobby visits, outreach at music festivals and farmers markets, and plans for a hunger banquet. We have lots to do this fall and we need your help, so please join us!

Also, go ahead and fill in your calendar. We're resuming monthly meetings every 4th Thursday of the month at 6:30 pm.

"Like" Oxfam America on Facebook

2011-08-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

Oxfam America has a goal of increasing their global movement by reaching 50,000 "likes" on Facebook. Check out this video made specially for San Francisco, then click on this link to join them on Facebook. And tell your friends; because the larger our community, the louder our voice!

You can also "like" our local Oxfam Action Corps on Facebook to receive updates on local opportunities, activities, and events.

Outside Lands outreach

2011-08-17T12:53:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a great group of volunteers who helped at Outside Lands over this past weekend, another 428 people signed on to the GROW campaign and were added to the petition to end tax credits to corn ethanol!

We have lots of outreach opportunities coming this fall -- concerts, farmers markets, Hunger Banquet. We'll be posting more information soon, and feel free to contact us if you're interested in helping to plan upcoming events.

Conference call with USAID Administrator Raj Shah

2011-08-03T10:07:00.000-07:00

Here's an opportunity to learn more about the crisis in the Horn of Africa. Please note that this call is through ONE, not Oxfam America, but since USAID and World Food Programme will be speaking, this should be a good resource for timely information:

Right now a crisis is unfolding in the Horn of Africa. The region is confronting the worst drought in 60 years, while a staggering 11.6 million people severely lack access to food and water. Tens of thousands of lives have already been lost due to this famine. Meanwhile, the United States is working with the international community around the clock to avert a major humanitarian disaster.

USAID Administrator Raj Shah just returned from the region and has asked to speak directly with ONE members about some important developments he's seen on the ground and what we can do right now to help.

The call will begin TODAY (Wednesday) at 5:10 PM PDT. Just RSVP here, and they'll call you promptly at 5:10: http://act.one.org/go/33?akid=2336.1476897.21o_cd&t=3

Thank you, Ben Sollee!

2011-07-31T19:04:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Ben Sollee for inviting us to table at his concert on Friday night. Ben is a wonderful supporter and gave Oxfam America a generous shout out during his performance. It was a great crowd, with several people who stopped by our table and signed on to the GROW campaign. If you'd like to find out more about the SF Bay Area Oxfam Action Corps or volunteer with us, send us an email.

Food crisis in East Africa: A call for local food advocates to expand their border

2011-07-29T13:03:00.000-07:00

by Desiree Thayer, SF Bay Area Oxfam Action Corps Organizer

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.”

Learn more and take the GROW pledge on Oxfam America’s website. Take action today at http://www.oxfamamerica.org/grow.

Tede Lokapelo, age 85 from Turkana, holds a day's worth of food. Photo by RANKIN. http://bit.ly/rt3ReG

Thanks to everyone who attended our summer kick-off meeting

2011-07-01T19:21:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who made it to the kick-off meeting! To the few people who are interested in volunteering and emailed about missing the meeting, I've met a couple of you and looking forward to meeting the rest to answer any questions you have about the Action Corps and our outreach efforts.

There are a few people who expressed interest in looking over the slides from the meeting's presentation about the Oxfam Action Corps and the GROW campaign. You can download the file here.

For anyone else interested in volunteering at Outside Lands, Identity Festival, or participating in lobby visits, feel free to email us.

Summer Kick-off Meeting

2011-06-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

DATE: Sunday, June 26, 2011

TIME: 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

LOCATION: 44 Ulloa St., San Francisco

Please join us at our upcoming summer kick-off meeting. We'll be discussing the new GROW campaign and have opportunities for outreach at music festivals - including Outside Lands and Identity Festival.

This meeting is for anyone interested in getting involved with our local Action Corps. For new volunteers, we have several opportunities for you to take action and help at upcoming events. For experienced volunteers, this is a great opportunity for you to learn more about the GROW campaign and continue to share your time and talents. We are open to new ideas about ways to spread Oxfam America's GROW campaign message to build a better food system with enough for everyone to eat and thrive. This meeting is open to anyone in the Bay area, so feel free to invite your friends and family!

Please RSVP by email so we can get a headcount for snacks. For questions or concerns, please contact Desiree by email or phone 415-484-OXSF(6973).

Table for Nine Billion

2011-05-26T18:01:00.000-07:00

You may think hunger is about too many people and too little food. That is not the case. Right now, our world produces enough food for all of us.

On June 1st, Oxfam America, along with all the Oxfam affiliates worldwide, is launching a food justice campaign. We, as the Bay Area Oxfam Action Corps, are excited for the launch and will be setting up a "Table for Nine Billion" in front of the SF Ferry Building on Saturday, June 4th from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm.

We are looking for volunteers to interact with the public and help handout information. Please email us at sanfrancisco@oxfamactioncorps.org if you can help or would like to learn more.

Read more on Oxfam America's fact sheet "Food For All". We'll also have much more information to share after the official launch on June 1st.

Thanks to everyone who helped make our IWD event a success!

2011-03-16T21:12:00.000-07:00

The SF Bay Area Oxfam Action Corp extends our sincerest thanks to everyone who contributed to and participated in the 100th Anniversary celebration of International Women's Day, "Ending Hunger Starts with Women". It was a truly informative and inspiring event.

Collectively we were able to achieve our objectives of providing education and initiating a dialogue regarding food justice and the crucial role women play in moving our world ahead to achieving greater food sustainability.

Check out some photos from the event below, and stay tuned for information about our next big event this May!

Thank you to our partners:

Join Oxfam America in Celebration of International Women’s Day!

2011-02-02T23:30:00.000-08:00

March 8th, 2011 marks the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day. Around the world, organizations and individuals will be celebrating this exciting historic landmark. From coast to coast, Oxfam America supporters will organize 100 events in 100 days, and you're invited! Join the Bay Area Oxfam Action Corps at a very special event called “Ending Hunger Starts with Women.”

WHAT: Reception, Presentation and Panel Discussion...all FREE!

WHEN: Tuesday, March 8th, 6:30 to 8:30 pm

WHERE: The David Brower Center, Goldman Theater and Gallery, 2150 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA

RSVP or VOLUNTEER: oxfam.sf@gmail.com

6:30 to 7:10 pm: Informational networking reception in the gallery where guests can enjoy sustainable appetizers, organic wine and fair trade tea and coffee, while mingling with local luminaries and browsing informational tables featuring local non-profits.

7:10 to 8:30 pm: The evening will continue in the Goldman Theater with short films and a presentation from special guest Ms. Prak Souern, a rice farmer and community leader from Cambodia, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A with some of the Bay Area's pioneers for ethical change, food experts, and leaders in business and government.

This event is the beginning of a dialogue about food justice in its global dimensions. We don't expect to arrive at all the answers in one night, but it's urgent that we further the conversation. There is something drastically wrong when nearly 1 billion people in the world are chronically hungry. And most of them - 3 out of 5 - are involved in food production, either by farming, fishing or herding. Women are the majority of farmers in this context, and so shoulder the added burden of gender inequality.

There is something wrong when our US cities have pockets of so-called 'food deserts' where people of limited income cannot easily access affordable healthy food. And there is something wrong when the food we do eat today depletes our natural resources for tomorrow because of unsustainable practices.

But it does not need to be this way. We can embrace solutions and a smarter, fairer food economy. So join us, at what promises to be a fun, uplifting and enlightening event, and find out how we can choose better ways to eat and grow our food, and at the same time advocate so that people worldwide have the rights and the resources to do the same.

To attend this event please RSVP to oxfam.sf@gmail.com

Special guests include:

Ms. Prak Soeun, rice farmer and food justice pioneer from Cambodia
Musician Thao Nguyen
Bay Area Green Tours' Marisa LaManga
Oakland Food Policy Council's Alethea Harper
Pluck & Feather's Esperanza Pallana

...with more to be announced soon!

A very special thanks to Whole Foods Market in Berkeley for donating the food for this event!

Oxfam Action Corps 2011 Recruitment

2011-01-25T06:24:00.001-08:00

Hey Everyone,
Oxfam America is currently in the process of recruiting new volunteers for 2011-2012. If you are interested in joining the Oxfam Action Corps or if you know someone that might be interested, please spread the word and sign up by February 14th at http://www.oxfamactioncorps.org.

You will meet great people and work together to change laws that can save lives, defend the rights of women and farmers, and protect communities from 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.

This year, we will mobilize a political response to the urgent problem of global hunger. 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:

Oxfam Volunteers March with the Mayan Community

2010-12-08T21:21:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, SF Bay Area Oxfam volunteers joined the thousands of Mayan community members and NGOs marching for climate justice through Cancun's downtown streets. Read their blog post below, and stay tuned for a video with interviews from rally attendees.

Cancun on the Ground: Mayan Community Mobilizes for Climate Justice
DECEMBER 8, 2010, 12:00 PM

Tuesday, December 7th, in downtown Cancun, thousands of locals, NGOs and community groups took to the streets, mobilizing for climate justice in the wake of the UNFCCC negotiations. People carrying large banners, beating drums and chanting in unison, marched through busy streets filled with curious onlookers for almost two miles to draw attention to various issues surrounding climate change and its impacts. Countless local and state groups from Mexico and other parts of Latin America joined together, including the Mexican Action Network on Free Trade, the Indigenous Group Tepehuano of UNORCA (National Union of Autonomous Regional Peasants Organizations), and the Indigenous and Ecological Federation of Chiapas. Mexican chapters of organizations like Friends of the Earth, 350.org, Oxfam, and Greenpeace were also present and adding to the commotion.

While the nuances of their causes varied, the tone of the people gathering was clear: urgent action on climate change is vital. Perhaps the most vocal of the groups present at the march were the Mayan community members, who were teamed up with the International Forum on Globalization (IFG) and the Organization of Forest Producers' Cooperatives of the Zona Maya (OEPFZM), to express their dissatisfaction with the Mexican government for withholding compensation owed to them for an extreme decade-long drought, which has devastated corn crops, food security, and Mayan livelihoods.

The Mayan community is calling for drastic cuts in greenhouse gases by industrial countries, and immediate assistance for adapting to impacts of climate change, like the drought. Some feel it is possible that come Friday, when the UNFCCC talks come to a close, negotiations will establish a fund that will adequately help vulnerable communities cope with their changing climate. State Secretary Emiliano Ramos, felt fairly optimistic that progress could be made on issues that affect the world's poorest (he gauged his level of optimism at a "5" on a scale of one to ten), but others were not so hopeful. A man representing an indigenous group of UNORCA, had lost all faith in negotiations and just wanted emergency help of some kind for his climate-related hardships.

Victor Menotti, Executive Director of IFG, felt what was needed most from developed countries was real commitments, not just pledges. He expressed hopes that there would be "goodwill and cooperation [in talks] and that governments would come to their senses" but that it would take "a lot of noise on the street to make that happen."

As we marched with the people through the avenues of downtown Cancun under the hot midday sun, the energy of the group seemed endless. Our final destination was the Palacio Municipal where we expected people to disperse, or at least sit down to rest. But upon arriving, there was a stage set up complete with live music and MC, and giant house-sized corn cob structures illustrating (with a touch of humor) the plight of the indigenous Mayan farmer. The crowd was instantly reinvigorated and the mobilization continued on for hours.

With Friday's outcome still hanging in the balance, the fate of the Mayan farming community and many other vulnerable areas around the world that are most heavily affected by decreases in rainfall and other environmental changes, is unknown. Hopefully Tuesday's noise on the street caught the attention of negotiators not far down the road at the Moon Palace conference center.

Check out the "Cancun on the Ground" Flickr set for more photos from COP16. And stay tuned for comments from UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, and more, in tomorrow's next blog post!

Oxfam Volunteers Cover Climate Fund Press Briefing in Cancun, MX

2010-12-07T21:11:00.000-08:00

On day two of week two of the UNFCCC climate talks in Cancun, Mexico, SF Bay Area Oxfam volunteers attended the press briefing, "Funding the Future", which discussed the global climate fund and current problems with financing that many groups hope will be solved by the end of this week. Read their full blog post here:

Cancun on the Ground: Poor People Losing Twice
DECEMBER 7, 2010, 12:00 PM

On the first day of week two of the UNFCCC climate negotiations, things are busy at the Cancunmesse exhibition hall, which is filled with hundreds of booths staffed by NGO, IGO, and national representatives. Among them are antipoverty development organizations such as Oxfam, WEDO, and CARE who are calling for the establishment of a fair global climate fund that will meet the needs and rights of the world’s most vulnerable communities. They, and scores of other attendees at the conference, believe that climate change poses an unprecedented threat to poor people who are already struggling to sustain their livelihoods and maintain food security, and that women and other marginalized groups are most vulnerable.

Yesterday afternoon at a press briefing titled Funding the Future organized by Oxfam International, six panelists shared their visions and experiences to help set the path to establish a fair global climate fund by week’s end. Top climate negotiators and ministers responsible for actualizing this goal are in Cancun right now and more are flying in this week. Although the first week of talks seems to have shown a fairly positive spirit and willingness to compromise on the part of many countries, a feeling of trepidation is present that the building pressure to make progress regarding emissions cuts and the Kyoto Protocol may result in insufficient time and energy for agreement on the establishment of a fair climate fund.

So what is this fund and how is it different from what Tim Gore, International Policy Advisor for Oxfam, calls the “spaghetti bowl of different climate financing channels” that currently exists? Well, as outlined in a letter signed by 215 civil society organizations released today at the press briefing, in order for the fund to be legitimate and effective it must:

Be established under the authority of the UNFCCC, a legitimate forum where all countries are represented.
Have equitable representation for developing countries on the board and not be donor country dominated.
Ensure consideration is given to gender and multicultural balance on the board.
Guarantee at least 50 percent of the resources of the fund are channeled to adaptation.
Be a one-stop shop with the vast majority of climate financing passing through the fund.
Ensure that vulnerable communities, especially women and indigenous populations, participate fully in decisions on uses and monitoring at the national level.

"There's a problem with the current system," explained Gore. "We think that the current arrangements for managing climate finances are really broken. They're not delivering the money to those that need it most and can spend it best."

Cate Owren, Program Director for WEDO, noted that, while climate financing is politically challenging, it should not be economically challenging because investments now save money in the future. She also reiterated that design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the fund will be crucial and will help prevent a negative impact on women and marginalized groups. Stories of climate adaptation needs and successes were shared by Alcinda Abreu, Mozambique’s Minister for Coordination of Environmental Affairs.

The briefing began and ended with the message that the establishment of this fund in Cancun will not only help developing countries adapt to the changing climate and adopt low-carbon development pathways, but also help rebuild trust in the negotiations. While a legally binding climate agreement seems almost certainly not on the cards for this round of negotiations, a fair global climate fund will hopefully produce tangible, concrete outcomes by Friday that addresses the need for both mitigation and adaptation assistance.

Check out the "Cancun on the Ground" Flickr set for more photos from COP16. And stay tuned for coverage of a mass mobilization of Mayan farmers calling for climate justice in tomorrow's next blog post!

SF Bay Oxfam Volunteers in Cancun for COP16!

2010-12-06T17:29:00.000-08:00

Oxfam Action Corps volunteers Megan Ferreira and Lili Polastri are on location with Link TV in Cancun, Mexico, covering the events of the annual UN Climate Change Conference and the reaction to talks by NGOs and the local community. Check out their first blog post:

Cancun on the Ground: Getting Acclimated
DECEMBER 6, 2010, 12:00 PM

After almost 12 hours of traveling due to flight delays, my colleague and I completed our journey from San Francisco to Cancun, Mexico. We were greeted by a warm ocean breeze, friendly helpful locals, and banners for the COP16 UN Climate Change Conference decorating every inch of the city. We instantly knew we were in the right place.

Our studio is situated on the west end of the hotel zone, closer to the Cancunmesse and Moon Palace conference centers than the infamous discoteca nightlife. But, famished, we ventured toward the bright lights in the hopes of finding an authentic Mexican dinner. Despite humble requests to our cab driver to take us someplace "tranquilo," we found ourselves dropped off in the heart of Cancun among giant, warehouse-sized designer shops (Louis Vuitton, Chanel), American chain restaurants (Outback Steakhouse, Applebees), and gargantuan night clubs with bumping baselines audible from miles away. This was not the Mexico either of us had ever been to -- or imagined. In fact, it bore a greater resemblance to Las Vegas.

Fearing our search for authentic Mexican food would end at a Taco Bell, we asked a nearby club promoter for advice, and after some labored thought, he pointed us to our only option: a pricey, upscale restaurant complete with Mariachi band, white linens, and an indoor fountain. After dinner (which was delicious), we were saddened to see among the glitz and scantily clad club-goers, several child beggars, and mothers with infants in tow, selling trinkets to tourists. The stark contrast, though not so different from that of many large cities, hinted at an interesting parallel to the conference in town. I was instantly reminded of an article I read on the trip over here that described Cancun as the "suicide capital" of Mexico. Climate change is contributing to the migration of many people out of rural areas of Mexico where crops have become harder to manage and resources harder to gather. But, as people have moved into the city, the divide in urban areas between locals and tourists has led to a culture of extreme poverty, hopelessness, and depression.

As week one of the conference wrapped up, the divide between rich and poor, and inequalities within negotiations were also apparent in many ways. Talks appear to favor the rich, as developed countries have a much greater number of participating delegates and negotiators than developing countries, thus stacking the cards against poorer countries with fewer resources to attend meetings and interpret information.

Also, the Kyoto Protocol has become the subject of heated debate, as Japan, Russia, and Canada have all rejected a second commitment period under the agreement. This move has sparked objections from developing countries who feel major emitting countries should continue to be held accountable for the targets set under Kyoto.

The impacts of climate change, as we know, disproportionately affect the poor, who are more reliant on natural resources and less able to cope with environmental changes and natural disasters. And the impacts are growing. As was reported in talks this week, an estimated 1 million deaths a year by 2030 and $157 billion in damage will result from climate change. Also reported, was the likelihood that 2010 would rank among the three hottest years in recorded history, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

Speaking with a few locals during our first days here, we received mixed responses to the conference which has invaded the town. One cab driver didn't actually believe that climate change was happening, but more importantly he didn't appreciate the inflated security around Cancun which was making it hard for the locals to "party" -- and thus harder for him to run his business. Apparently, groups of machine gun-toting policemen are a deterrent for the normally hassle-free recreational drug use in Cancun's Party Central. We're looking forward to gaining further insight to the local views of the conference this week ... outside of Party Central.

Check out the "Cancun on the Ground" Flickr set for more photos from COP16. And stay tuned for more reports from the ground in Cancun, as our volunteers delve into week two of talks. Next up: Will delegates be able to come to an agreement on global climate financing?

Hear first-hand stories of the tragedies and triumphs of women of war

2010-11-11T11:28:00.000-08:00

Women for Women International is inviting the San Francisco Bay Area Oxfam Action Corps to a special one-night event this Tuesday, November 16th, to hear first-hand stories of women from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sudan about the tragedies and triumphs of women survivors of war.

Attend the reception and intimate dialogue for a chance to meet and connect with other local supporters of Women for Women International, and learn more about women survivors of war, and what you can do to make a difference.

Date: Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Time: Hors d'oeuvres from 6:00pm. Dialogue begins at 7:00pm.

Place: Golden Gate Room in the Conference Center (Bldg A) at Fort Mason in San Francisco. Parking is available for a nominal fee and Fort Mason is accessible by several bus routes. Get directions here.

Limited tickets are available at $20, students with ID $15, click here to purchase. All proceeds benefit Women for Women International.

We hope to see you there!

Great Bay Area Events to Celebrate Peace, Culture & Education

2010-10-18T15:42:00.000-07:00

The Bay Area Oxfam Action Corps was delighted to learn that we'll be receiving an award for our work in support of the UN Millennium Development Goals!

The award will be presented this Saturday evening by the United Nations Association of San Francisco (UNA-SF) is the San Francisco chapter of the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA), a national, nonpartisan, and nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing US participation in the United Nations system and to strengthening that system as it seeks to define and carry out its mission. This event is part of many others taking place this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. All events are free or low-cost and open to the public! Advance registration requested. See more details below and visit http://una-sf.org.

Upcoming Special Events Hosted by the UNA-SF
WHAT: UN-65: Peace, Human Rights, Justice
A three day celebration of the United Nations 65th anniversary

WHEN: October 22-24, 2010
WHY: From Grassroots to Gala, UN-65 will focus on the UN Millennium Development Goals and will celebrate Peace, Culture and Education.

Activities include a walk in Muir Woods to the UN Grove, your professionals and student activities each day, networking with community leaders and international guests, Beethoven's Ode to Joy with the Symphony for the UN, special exhibits, a panel of experts, and much more!

Check out the event flyer HERE
Register for events HERE

___________________________________________________

Also, many thanks to the hundreds of people who took action with us this weekend at the Treasure Island Music Festival by participating in the Sow the Seed photo petition and sending postcards asking Congress to pass the Global Food Security Act and asking Obama to support a Global Climate Fund at COP 16 this December in Cancun.

Photos taken will be added to thousands of others from around the world and used during meetings with governments, with media and at campaign events to make sure our world leaders hear your demands for them to tackle climate change, secure food supplies and reduce poverty.

View more photos from around the world HERE.

We Stood Up, and They Responded!

2010-09-25T10:12:00.000-07:00

We did it! Last Saturday the SF Bay Area Oxfam Action Corps held a Hunger Banquet to Stand Up Against Poverty, contributing to the 1,328 events that took place worldwide at the time of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Review Summit in New York City (Sept. 17-19). This global action called for a comprehensive development strategy to alleviate poverty and achieve the MDGs by 2015, and the call was heard!

Click here for more info about the 8 goals.

On Wednesday afternoon, US President Obama delivered a speech announcing a sweeping new effort called the US Global Development Policy. This historic initiative elevates development and poverty reduction as a US priority, expands the notion beyond just aid to areas such as trade and investment, demands increased coherency and coordination among US agencies, and calls for a new results-oriented approach that follows locally-set agendas in partnership with recipient countries.

Better yet, the White House announced that every four years US development policies will be updated in the US Global Development Strategy. This is truly a monumental shift in US development policy.

Read Oxfam America's response to this breakthrough here.

As always, a lot rides on the details of the program and its successful implementation. President Obama can implement reforms among his Administration and provide needed leadership. But permanent reform will require acts of Congress. So stay tuned - we'll soon be circulating an e-action urging supporters to help us ensure this reform sticks.

A huge THANK YOU to all who attended Saturday's Hunger Banquet and helped make this happen. And an extra special thanks to Luna Park SF and Regalito Rosticeria for their generous food donations.

2010-09-08T09:55:00.000-07:00

Little-known facts about our global community
Forty percent of the people on our planet—more than 2.5 billion—now live in poverty, struggling to survive on less than $2 a day. Oxfam is working to change that. Hunger is the most visible face of poverty. In every nation on earth, people go to sleep hungry—more than 854 million people worldwide—even though our planet produces enough food to feed every woman, man, and child.

How does the Oxfam Hunger Banquet work?
Few experiences bring to life the inequalities in our world more powerfully than an Oxfam America Hunger Banquet event. Organizers and participants alike can experience firsthand how our decisions affect others in the world.

Guests draw tickets at random that assign them each to either a high, middle, or low-income tier and receive a corresponding meal. The 15% in the high-income tier are served a sumptuous meal. The 35% in the middle-income section eat a simple meal of rice and beans. The 50% in the low-income tier help themselves to small portions of rice and water.

Guests can also assume characterizations that describe the situation of a specific person at the income level to which they’ve been assigned. Finally, all guests are invited to share their thoughts after the meal.

After an Oxfam America Hunger Banquet event, few participants leave with full stomachs, but all possess a greater understanding of the problems of hunger and poverty and will hopefully be motivated to do something about them.

Join us for a Hunger Banquet on Saturday, September 18th, at The Women's Building in San Francisco's Mission District, from 3-5pm. RSVP at oxfam.sf@gmail.com.

Stand Up Against Poverty on September 18th with an Oxfam America Hunger Banquet!

2010-08-30T22:59:00.000-07:00

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Saturday, September 18th, join us (and the masses around the world) and Stand Up Against Poverty in response to global leaders meeting in New York City for the 2010 UN Millennium Development Goals Review Summit. This is a critical time for us to make our voices heard and call for President Obama and other world leaders to create a development strategy for reducing global poverty. Here are the details:

WHAT: Stand Up Against Poverty Hunger Banquet

WHEN: Saturday, September 18, 2010, 3-5pm

WHERE: The Women's Building, Audre Lorde Room, 3543 18th St. #8, San Francisco, CA 94110 (women, men and children welcome!)

WHY: Stand Up Against Poverty weekend of action is September 17-19th in response to the UN Millennium Development Goals Review Summit, and Oxfam Action Corps and other allied organizations will be planning events all over the nation and the world calling for global development strategy to beat poverty! The SF Bay Area Oxfam Action Corps will be holding a Hunger Banquet to rally local support, spread awareness, and add our city to the map of action taking place this weekend. Learn more about this global event here.

HOW: To attend this event please RSVP at oxfam.sf@gmail.com. Please also let us know if you are able to volunteer at this event (may require you to arrive an hour early and/or stay and hour late).

BACKGROUND/MORE INFO: Help for people in poor communities affected by climate change and food scarcity can come in many forms - one example is the adaptation finance that we've been pushing for this year. But for too long, US assistance to poor countries has been a mixed bag of unfocused measures. We may provide aid to a poor nation but block their economic growth with unfair barriers to trade. We may ship US grains to a region going hungry when sending direct cash assistance would feed people and stimulate the local food economy. Rather than directly engaging with communities on their needs and goals, policy has too often been designed to meet goals pushed by Washington DC, with aid money paid to consultants. The list goes on, and despite some positive signals from President Obama, and bolstering of USAID under its new head Rajiv Shah, the Obama Administration has not made the big changes necessary to fix the outdated system.

In response, Oxfam and allies are calling for a "global development strategy" that brings coherency, transparency, and closer partnership with recipient communities and countries. And this summer presents an opportunity to push such a goal! Nations will convene in NYC this summer for the Millennium Development Goals review summit.

Recently, President Obama released a draft strategy to meet US commitments to the Millennium Development Goals. It embraced a results-oriented approach and positive principals such as transparency and country partnership, but it failed to articulate how to update US laws and put all possible tools into action. It is now our job to take this draft as a leaping off point toward further progress, and to push Congress to demonstrate forward motion on key elements.

What is a Hunger Banquet?

An Oxfam America Hunger Banquet allows participants will get to experience first hand the inequalities in our world, the disproportion of food, wealth and resources, and how our decisions affect others. Guests draw a ticket at random that assign them to either a high, middle, or low-income tier, based on the statistics about the number of people living in poverty in the world. Each income level has a corresponding story and meal (of differing portions). As you can imagine, most people do not leave this "banquet" with full stomachs.

Oxfam at Outside Lands Rallies Local Support to Fight Poverty

2010-08-19T20:59:00.000-07:00

A HUGE thank you to everyone who stopped by the Oxfam booth this past weekend and took action in support of Oxfam America's work to fight global poverty. We are proud to report that we surpassed our goal and reached a whopping 809 signatures on our petition asking Obama to 1) create a global development strategy in support of the Millennium Development Goals and, 2) work with Congress to revise and strengthen the outdated Foreign Assistance Act.

Of the hundreds of people who signed the petition, over half also opted to take local action by joining our Bay Area listserv. Thanks also to all of the AMAZING volunteers who joined us in our outreach efforts. As a volunteer initiative, it goes without saying, we couldn't have done it without you!

Here are just a few photos from this fantastic day (and scroll down for the complete slide show):

Event Planning Meeting - Thursday August 26th!

2010-08-10T10:37:00.001-07:00

Next month, the world will be joining together in calling out our global leaders on the promises they made via the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The 2010 review summit, hosted by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, will be held this September to examine the progress made on achieving these goals thus far. It's up to us to make our voices heard and demand that global leaders take the necessary steps towards ending poverty and inequality by 2015, as outlined in the MDG framework.

That's why Oxfam America is joining the masses on September 17-19, to Stand Up Against Poverty! Join the SF Bay Oxfam Action Corps at 6:30pm on Thursday, August 26 at Cafe International if you would like to participate in the planning of our local event. Ideas currently on the table include: a Hunger Banquet, a movie screening, a panel discussion, or a musical performance by local artists. Please send your ideas to oxfam.sf@gmail.com, or join us on the 26th and help us make this event one to remember!

Vent Your Outrage - Call Your Senator!

2010-08-03T22:04:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who participated in our efforts last week to generate calls to Senators to vent our outrage regarding the lack of Senate action on climate change before the August recess! Our Bay Area actions were part of a national effort, with similar phone banking gatherings taking place in cities like New York, Minneappolis, Albuquerque, Columbus, and Philly.

Haven't called yet? It's not too late! Please see the previous post for more info and email us if you have any questions. Also, check out this article about the challenge the US will face trying to meet our aid commitments to without cap-and-trade revenue.

Flex Your Constituent Muscle: Phone Banking TONIGHT and TOMORROW!

2010-07-27T10:41:00.000-07:00

Thanks for sticking with us through this tough time, and for taking action when it's needed most. If you didn't get a chance to add your name to the Senate petition demanding climate action, you can do so here. Then, take a moment to check out Oxfam's latest e-action regarding the Senate failure to address climate change.

You can make calls on your own, or, TONIGHT and TOMORROW, as promised, we will be holding gatherings around the Bay Area for local volunteers to join together in contacting Senators and other influential community members in California to urge them to keep fighting to pass climate legislation. Locations and times are as follows:

TONIGHT - TUESDAY 7/27/10

San Francisco:

6:30-8pm @ Megan Ferreira's house, 44 Ulloa, San Francisco, CA 94127, email megimegs1@gmail.com

East Bay:

5-8pm @ Nickolas Johnson's house, 2012 Hearst Ave. Unit B, Berkeley, CA 94709, email johnson_nickolas@mac.com

TOMORROW - WEDNESDAY 7/28/10

South Bay:

5-8pm @ Karen Crumlin's house, 1048 Keeble Court, San Jose, CA 95126, email karen.crumlin@gmail.com

Email hosts for more info, or just show up with your phone and be prepared to make some calls! Flexing your constituent muscle with a phone call is one of the most powerful things you can do as a concerned citizen in this country. Remember, the government works for and represents us, so it's our right and our duty to voice our opinions.

Thanks everyone and we hope to see some of you tonight and tomorrow!

The US Senate Puts off Climate Legislation Again While Poor People Continue to Suffer - Your Help Needed!

2010-07-23T14:48:00.000-07:00

In reaction to the announcement that climate change legislation is delayed by the United States Senate, perhaps indefinitely, David Waskow, Oxfam America's climate change program director, made the following statement:

“It is critical that the US pass legislation to deal with the oil spill and impacts on communities in the Gulf Coast, but the world cannot stand to hear, again, that the Senate will not act on climate change. While Senators go on their summer break, millions of poor people on the front lines of climate change around the world can’t take a break from the droughts and floods made worse by climate pollution.”

"Without a commitment that the United States will work with other countries to solve the climate challenge and build resilience to its consequences, we cannot move forward globally. All eyes are on the US to show leadership. Failure on this critically important issue is just unacceptable, but the Senate has failed to match the leadership in the House and the Obama Administration has abandoned the helm.”

“Time is ticking away. We urge President Obama to lead and Senators to get back to work determined to deliver legislation that cuts harmful pollution and invests in the resilience of poor communities on the front lines of climate change. "

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO ADD YOUR NAME TO THE LIST OF SUPPORTERS CALLING FOR CLIMATE ACTION NOW!

Phone-banking gatherings are still tentatively scheduled to take place in South Bay, East Bay, and San Francisco locations next week July 27-29. Stay tuned or email oxfam.sf@gmail.com for more details...

ACTION UPDATE:

2010-07-18T21:37:00.000-07:00

New forecasts for the climate bill release in the Senate have moved to next week, on July 26th. Please note that phone banking gatherings around the Bay Area will now be scheduled to take place July 27-29th, in response to this new information. Email oxfam.sf@gmail.com for more information on how to attend or throw your own gathering.

Also, if you are a fan of the R&B/Rap group, Foreign Exchange, come see us this Thursday and Friday at Yoshi's Jazz Club in San Francisco where Oxfamers will be tabling and doing local outreach. Check out the flyer for more info:

Senate Climate Bill Vote Approaching - Mark Your Calendars for Action!

2010-07-10T20:47:00.000-07:00

A vote on the Senate climate bill will be taking place this month and we need your help to ensure the bill passes with international adaptation funding in tact! Vulnerable communities around the world are counting on the U.S. to do their part to combat climate change on a global scale, and that begins with setting an example and taking responsibility at home by reducing our carbon footprint and helping those most effected by (though least responsible for) climate change.

On July 19th-21st, the Oxfam America Action Corps will be holding gatherings in cities across the country to generate constituent calls to Senators. Join us at one of several locations in the Bay Area to add your voice to this important cause! Phone lists and scripts will be provided at what promises to be an exciting and inspiring time for everyone involved. Please contact oxfam.sf@gmail.com if you would like to attend one of these gatherings, or if you would like to hold your own!

We'll be updating our blog soon with more details about this call for action and the bill, expected to be introduced for debate in the Senate on July 19th.

Also, click here to watch the trailer for "Beautiful Islands", an award-winning film about three locations, Tuvalu (South Pacific), Venice (Italy), and Shishmaref (USA), that are sinking into the ocean due to sea level rise. The serious threat posed by climate change stands to eliminate entire countries and cultures.

And, check out the new iPhone app based on the film, the "Flood Camera", which allows you to see what your favorite places might look like flooded. Shocking stuff.

In-District Senate Lobby Visits Keep Adaptation in the Conversation

2010-06-11T23:02:00.000-07:00

Over the Memorial Day Congressional Recess, the Oxfam Action Corps was hard at work across the country making in-district visits to Senators to ensure international adaptation funding remains a priority of climate legislation. In San Francisco, 10 volunteers met with the staffers of Senators Feinstein and Boxer to reemphasize crucial information and share personal stories about the importance of adaptation. They told the staffers that it is urgent that the Senate act on climate change this year – every day the Senate doesn’t act, poor people worldwide who are hardest hit by climate change are left fighting on their own. (Boxer has been a long supporter of comprehensive climate legislation and adaptation, and Feinstein is supportive of passing a comprehensive climate bill, but her office hasn't yet released a public position on international adaptation...but stay tuned!)

Back on Capitol Hill this week Senate Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) met with other leaders in the Senate to discuss how to move forward a climate bill. Oxfam is still anticipating outcomes from this meeting - we'll keep you posted! On the Republican side, Richard Lugar (R-IN) offered an alternative proposal and Lindsay Graham (R-SC) backpedaled on his commitment to the issue (details on his comments here).

And on a related note, a small victory! Yesterday the Senate voted 53-47 to defeat an effort by Sen. Murkowski (R-AK) to strip the Environmental Protection Agency of its ability to regulate greenhouse gases. For news coverage and a notable speech by Sen. Kerry (D-MA) click here. And click here for a NY Times article on the prospective of a comprehensive energy bill passing after this vote.

Stay tuned for more legislative updates and calls for action during this crucial time...

Summer of Action Kick-Off Meeting Success!

2010-05-25T10:12:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who attended this past Sunday's Summer of Action Kick-Off Meeting (scroll down for pics)! We had a big variety of volunteers present, some who'd been volunteering for years, and some who were getting involved with Oxfam for the very first time. But it was clear after introductions, that every single person had something very valuable to contribute.

During the meeting we were able to identify some key strengths within the group through discussing the many ways one can volunteer with the Action Corps. From tabling at concerts and festivals, to lobby visits and calling your legislators, these areas of action can be categorized as such:

- Communications (Letters to the Editor, letters to your representatives, contributing to the OAC blog or Facebook)

- Legislation (Lobby visits, bill research, Senate phone calls/emails, town hall meetings)

- Concerts/Festivals (Tabling outreach, petition signing, volunteer and materials coordination)

- Events and Promotion (Event oversight/planning/promotion, phone banking, social networking)

- Allies and Community Outreach (Networking with partner orgs, finding new allies, adding OAC events to community calendars, making connections)

If your day job, area of expertise, or general interest lies in one of these categories and you would like to be specifically considered when volunteer opportunities arise, please write to us at sanfrancisco@oxfamactioncorps.org and let us know!

Lastly, I have to mention that by the end of the meeting, we had collectively hand-written 15 letters to our CA Senators about the pros and cons of the American Power Act (namely that while Adaptation funding is indeed included in the bill, it is not nearly enough and will be delayed for almost a decade). These letters will be hand-delivered during lobby visits next week! Letter writing is an easy, yet invaluable way of flexing your constituent muscle. Let us know if you'd like to write one, and we can send you talking points.

Stay tuned for info on next quarter's volunteer meeting, to be set early August.

American Power Act Introduced Today!

2010-05-12T21:29:00.000-07:00

After much anticipation, Senators John Kerry (D-Mass) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn) released The American Power Act, a comprehensive climate and energy bill. Ultimately, the bill is a product of compromises aimed at bipartisan appeal, so it's political prospects are uncertain. However, while Oxfam and its allies are dissecting the 987 pages and scoping out its political viability, our common immediate perspective is that it is a welcome step, and we urgently need political leadership to strengthen its provisions.

So far, what we know about the bill is that it:

- aims for 17% GHG reductions by 2020

- proposes a cap & trade system with significant consumer protection

- includes money and incentives for nuclear energy

- includes concessions on off-shore drilling (fewer though, in the wake of Gulf spill).

- includes a program to build resilience through international adaptation, but funding is inadequate and doesn’t commence until 2019.

Read more about the bill here.

Take Immediate Action: Join a national conference call tomorrow (5/13) on the American Power Act, hosted by 1Sky

Time: Thursday, May 13, 12:15 PM - 1:15 PM (Eastern Time)
Dial-in number: 877-366-0713 (toll-free)
Participant code: 38735133#
Questions: Submit your questions in advance here. (And ask about adaptation!)

Guest speakers on the call include Jesse Tolkan (Green for All), Dave Hamilton (Sierra Club), Vicky Rateau (Oxfam America), Jason Kowalski (1Sky).

May 23- Summer of Action Kick-Off Meeting

2010-05-03T13:59:00.000-07:00

Have you been waiting for an opportunity to jump in an start volunteering with the Bay Action Corps, or learn more about what we do? Well, now is your chance and we can't wait to meet you!

WHAT: SF Bay Area Summer of Action Kick-Off Meeting

WHEN: 5:00pm, Sunday, May 23rd

WHERE: Action Corps Organizer Megan's House, 44 Ulloa St., San Francisco, CA 94127

DIRECTIONS: Take MUNI lines M, L, and K to Forest Hill, and/or the 36, 43, 44 & 52 buses. BART riders can get off at Glen Park station and take the 44 or 52 bus up the hill. Plenty of street parking is also available.

WHY: This meeting will be a gathering of new volunteers and old from all parts of the Bay Area interested in making this summer and beyond a forceful effort towards achieving comprehensive climate legislation that includes adequate funding for international adaptation! It's time the U.S. steps up as a leader in the fight against climate change and takes a stand for the world's most vulnerable communities. And we need YOUR help to accomplish this.

Items to be covered at this meeting will include:

General overview of Oxfam America, and the Bay Area Action Corps

Overview of climate change, international adaptation, and current legislative implications

Primary action calendar for the summer (not limited to)

Key areas of action and sign-up sheet for interested volunteers

Idea exchange/Meet and greet

Pizza and beverages!!!

Please RSVP to sanfrancisco@oxfamactioncorps.org so we know to expect you and how much food to order (and let us know if you have any dietary restrictions, too).

Immigration Politics Threaten to Unravel Bipartisan Climate Bill Efforts

2010-04-28T00:28:00.000-07:00

Prospects for a comprehensive climate bill passing this year suffered a blow Saturday after Republican Senator Lindsey Graham (South Carolina), who had been helping to write and sponsor the bill, pulled out of negotiations. But although Graham has split from Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), the split fortunately does not appear to be on substantive issues, but instead is a procedural protest directed at Majority Leader Reid. In a nut shell, Graham wants the climate bill taken up now, and not put off until after an immigration reform bill which Reid is considering pushing forward.

More details about this policy update can be found in the following articles:

Senate Climate Bill Trio Headed in Different Directions
NY Times, April 27, 2010

Troubled Senate Climate Bill to Undergo EPA Analysis
NY Times, April 26, 2010

Outlook for climate bill in U.S. Congress
Reuters, April 26, 2010

Climate Bill On Hold After Lindsey Graham Threatens To Withdraw Support Over Immigration
Huffington Post, April 24, 2010

Congress always has its ups and downs, and while this development has sparked much speculation and worry, we need to keep our message steady and strong! Please check back soon for more updates and make sure you have contacted your Senators to urge them to not cut the world's poorest communities out of the climate bill.

Happy Earth Day!

2010-04-22T08:38:00.001-07:00

Today marks the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, and it couldn't come at a better time. Climate change is more relevant today than ever before; not only is the science clear-- with the consensus of the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which represents the collaboration of over 2,500 scientific expert reviewers and 800 authors from 130 countries-- but the impacts are clear, too. Climate change is no longer a problem of the future that we can put off dealing with, we simply don't have that luxury, now knowing what we do.

Bill McKibben may have put it best when he spoke at the World Affairs Council in San Francisco, CA last night. He explained that, in this new era, we have to change the way we think, and the vocabulary we use. In developing countries (and developed), we can no longer talk about "growth". We need to instead discuss options for "stability," "security," and "resilience." And that is what International Adaptation is all about.

Fortunately, the US President's Interagency Task Force on Climate Change Adaptation is working on this and they've released a progress report, which can be found here. They are accepting public comments (until May 14) and we need to show them that people nationwide support adaptation funding. So today, on the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, in addition to taking the bus, shortening your shower, or planting a tree, take a minute to read the report, and leave your honest and informed feedback. To view public comments go here.

Finally, we'll leave you with this inspiring message from President Obama, who sums up pretty well the urgency with which we need to think about and act on climate change.

100 Places to Remember Before They Disappear

2010-04-20T22:41:00.000-07:00

Newsweek magazine recently released a limited edition special issue featuring 100 places to remember before they disappear due to the devastating impacts of climate change. With a moving introduction by Fareed Zakaria, this tribute to only some of the many places suffering from rising sea levels, diminishing resources, or dying eco-systems, is an important reminder that climate change is happening now and to a very serious degree. While much of the damage to our planet cannot be reversed, there is still plenty we can do to prevent further devastation, like the loss of entire low-lying island nations (a risk facing the Republic of Kiribati, not featured in Newsweek's report).

Stay tuned for more action opportunities, through which you can join the fight for comprehensive climate change legislation. A climate bill is expected to drop in the U.S. Senate April 26th, just after Earth Day, and in this bill Oxfam is calling for adequate funding for international adaptation, so that the most vulnerable communities bearing the brunt of climate change can cope. After all, it's these communities who contribute the least to climate change, and yet they stand to lose the most.

Sign the petition now - Tell your Senators: Don't cut poor people out of the climate Bill!

Reminder: Please Call Your Senators!

2010-03-09T20:07:00.000-08:00

Senator Boxer: (202) 224-3553 or (415) 403-0100
Senator Feinstein: (202) 224-3841 or (415) 393-0707

WHAT:
If you’re a person who cares deeply about the world's poorest people and believes the US has a responsibility to help these communities adapt to the effects of climate change, now is the time to let them our political leaders know!

1. Please call Senators Feinstein and Boxer and urge them to ensure that international assistance for the world's poorest people to adapt to climate change not be left out of a comprehensive US climate and energy bill!

2. Please also ask them to co-sponsor the International Climate Change Investment Act (S. 2835), which addresses the global security risks of climate change, helps hard-hit communities to build resilience to climate impacts, and promotes US leadership in clean technology.

WHY:
The world’s poorest people are currently being hit hardest by climate change and need assistance to build up resilience against its effects.

International investments are in the interests of US national security and global stability. Climate-exacerbated impacts (droughts, floods, storms, disease) will increase environmental migration, poverty and hunger, and possible armed conflicts over scarce resources, as already seen in Sudan. Supporting climate-readiness now will save lives and money by helping to decrease the damage caused by climate change.

Without financial and technical support from countries like the United States, developing countries will not be able to address the immediate, serious impacts facing vulnerable communities today or reduce their own emissions, leaving billions of people in peril from worsening storms, droughts, and floods.

AND:
There's still time to take action!!! But, unfortunately, there has been talk of splitting the bill to leave out essential portions that would both cap greenhouse gas emissions and provide funding for vulnerable communities least responsible for the devastating effects of climate change that they are the most incapable of dealing with.

Exciting International Women's Day Events

2010-02-27T22:07:00.000-08:00

THURSDAY, MARCH 4TH:

Half the Sky LIVE
7:30 – 9:30 pm
Theaters Nationwide

At 7:30 pm (all time zones), in honor of International Women’s Day, CARE will present Half the Sky LIVE in movie theatres nationwide!

Inspired by the best-selling book from Pulitzer-prize winning journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, this special screening will feature musical performances, celebrity commentary and the world premiere of “Woineshet,” a powerful short film directed by Academy Award Winner Marisa Tomei and Lisa Leone. Watch the pages of Half the Sky come to life onscreen as “Woineshet” chronicles the struggles of a poor Ethiopian woman who ultimately triumphs over sexual violence and discrimination.

SATURDAY, MARCH 6TH:

International Women's Day Feast, Facts & Festival
11 am – 5 pm
Oakland, CA

11 am- Drum Circle at Diamond Park in front of the tennis courts, at Fruitvale and Damuth.
12 pm- March through the Fruitvale business district.
1 pm- Feast & Facts Lunch: Enjoy a scrumptious buffet and choose a Circle of Interest covering various issues concerning women, including Women and Climate Change, presented by the Bay Area Oxfam Action Corps!
2 pm- Music, Dance, Poetry & Spoken Word.
4 pm- Tea Dance

International Women's Day March & Festival
11 am – 4 pm
San Jose, CA

11 am- The march begins at Roosevelt Park (21st St. & Santa Clara St.)
1 pm- The march ends at the Biblioteca Latinoamericana at 921 S. First Street, with music and cultural performances.

MONDAY, MARCH 8th:

Women for Women, Bridge to Bridge
11:30 am – 1 pm
San Francisco, CA

Join us on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco! Thousands of women (and men) worldwide will gather on bridges from San Francisco to Congo to demonstrate that women can build the bridges of peace and hope.

11:30 am- Participants gather in the parking lot on the San Francisco side of the bridge
12 pm- Walk starts toward the center of the bridge. Parking is limited, so carpooling and public transit is encouraged.

Women & Leadership: The 30% Solution
5:30 – 8 pm
Monterey, CA

5:30 pm- Informational Fair and Reception: Browse local organizations' informational tables, enjoy appetizers, drinks, and music.

6:30 pm- Keynote Linda Tarr-Whelan, Demos Distinguished Senior Fellow, President Clinton’s Ambassador to the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women, and author of Women Lead The Way: Your Guide to Stepping Up to Leadership and Changing the World.

7:30 pm- Panel discussion including Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS) Provost Dr. Amy Sands; Linda Alepin, Founding Director of the Global Women's Leadership Network (GWLN) of the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University; and Christine Grumm, President and CEO of the Women's Funding Network will follow.

TUESDAY, MARCH 9TH:

Sisters on the Planet Climate Leaders Summit
In honor of International Women’s Day, Oxfam is bringing inspiring women from around the world to Washington, DC, for a summit with some of America’s most prominent women leaders. They’ll talk about how climate change affects women here and abroad—and how women can use their power to fight back against the crisis.

Even though we can't be in DC with them, we'll still be flexing our constituent muscles locally! Email us at oxfam.sf@gmail.com if you'd like to join Bay Area Oxfam Action Corps volunteers and climate justice advocates for local lobby visits.

Bill Gates Announces Top Priority: Zero Climate Emissions

2010-02-22T19:54:00.000-08:00

On Friday the world's most successful businessperson and most powerful philanthropist declared that reaching zero climate emissions is his top priority. We were particularly happy to hear that Bill Gates spoke about his commitment to using his massive philanthropic resources (the Gates Foundation is the world's largest) to make life better for people through public health and poverty alleviation ("vaccines and seeds" as he put it). Then he said something he's never said before:

that is it because he's committed to improving life for the world's most vulnerable people that he now believes that climate change is the most important challenge on the planet.

Check out Alex Steffen's summary for more details.

Call your Senators TODAY to Keep the Comprehensive Climate Bill Alive!

2010-02-17T23:11:00.000-08:00

There's still time to take action!!! Please call your Senators today and demand that a comprehensive climate bill be passed in the Senate this year.

Unfortunately, there has been talk of splitting the bill to leave out essential portions that would both cap greenhouse gas emissions and provide funding for vulnerable communities least responsible for the devastating effects of climate change that they are the most incapable of dealing with.

Senator Boxer: (202) 224-3553 or (415) 403-0100
Senator Feinstein: (202) 224-3841 or (415) 393-0707

7 Reasons why we must continue to call for a Comprehensive Climate Bill:

1. With every delay come increased risks of global instability and threats to national security from global migration and refugee crises, conflicts over natural resources, and economic destabilization.

2. American innovators and entrepreneurs are eager to take advantage of the increasing global demand for climate resilience tools, services and technologies. Scores of major corporations are fighting for climate solutions as a key to keeping our nation competitive, securing global supply chains, and expanding business opportunities. By ignoring the changing realities imposed by global warming, we risk missing the next great economic wave.

3. Now is the time to put in place a pathway toward a clean energy future, and inspire innovative, people-focused solutions to adapt to climate change.

4. While least responsible for causing climate change, poor people bear the brunt of its impacts.

5. Studies show that across Africa, 75 million to 250 million people could face severe water shortages by 2020. (According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.)

6. People in poor countries are 20 times more likely to be affected by disasters caused by climate change than those in the developed world. And the World Health Organization estimated that climate change already claims 150,000 lives annually.

7. In a nutshell... now is the time to pass a comprehensive clean energy and climate policy to enhance global stability, generate the kinds of business and job opportunities critically needed to rebuild our nation's economy, and help poor communities cope with the impacts of a changing climate!

Action Corps Recruitment & Editors Concert

2010-01-27T20:38:00.000-08:00

Happy 2010! Thank you everyone for your support in December during the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit; the global effort displayed was truly inspiring (check out photos of the SF Day of Action here). While the outcome may not have been ideal, it was an important start to bigger change down the road. Stay tuned as there will be many updates and activities ahead as we continue to campaign for comprehensive national legislation and an ambitious, fair and binding global treaty at the Cancun climate summit in December 2010!

In other news...recruiting has commenced for new Action Corps organizers for 2010! This year’s recruitment is about finding and engaging several people who can fill out our local leadership team. A team structure will allow more sustained efforts and bring distinct strengths to the table. Applications accepted through Feb. 15 at www.oxfamactioncorps.org.

As a refresher, the Oxfam Action Corps is:

- a unique program that joins principles of local community organizing to the purpose of eradicating global poverty. Organizing is bringing people together around a shared purpose to make political change. The Action Corps is a learning experience in which volunteers become skilled organizers, communities become powerful advocates for the rights of the poor and vulnerable, and we all change our world for the better.

- a local effort that is an important part of Oxfam’s national campaign strategy, which takes place in over a dozen cities across America. As such, regular communication, coordination, and training and support between volunteer organizers and staff are essential to its success.

AND,

- Oxfam America staff provide a national plan of action for the year including objectives, priority members of Congress, key moments, activities and organizing tools. Within this, Action Corps organizers have flexibility to create plans and actions that are inspiring and effective locally. This year we will continue to campaign on climate change and adaptation financing for poor and vulnerable communities. Possible Senate action, mid-term elections, and lead-up to COP16 in Mexico make for a very interesting year ahead!

Your role as an Oxfam Action Corps organizer would involve:

- being committed to the success of local efforts. In turn, Oxfam America is committed to providing you organizing tools, policy updates, and ongoing guidance and support. It’s a learning experience, so please expect coaching and candid feedback.

- being part of a group of 5 or more organizers forming a local leadership team. While sharing overall responsibility, you each also take on a specific role suited to your skills and availability. Roles include tracking policy developments in detail and leading lobby delegations; leading outreach at public events like concerts and conferences; reaching out to community organizations; gathering volunteers for regular planning sessions; updating your blog and email announcements; etc.

What’s in it for you?

–Making a difference through advocating for millions of people in poverty
–Developing leadership, organizing, and communication skills and experience
–Being closer to Oxfam’s work and staff
–Issue expertise on poverty and climate change
–Better understanding of policy-making at the national and international level
–A greater community of like-minded individuals
–Personal fulfillment/satisfaction
–Helping build a unique program and learning experience!

Those interested in being organizers for the full year should apply at www.oxfamactioncorps.org by February 15th. If accepted, there is a chance you may be selected for Oxfam's annual training and lobby visits in Washington D.C! Those interested in occasional volunteering should also sign up.

That's the end of the wrap for our recruitment. Please also note we have an Editors concert on Monday, February 8th at the Warfield, SF that we need 4 volunteers for (one person should have prior tabling experience), so please email us back ASAP at oxfam.sf@gmail.com if you're interested. Should be a rockin' show!

And, lastly, stay tuned for details about March Action Week, where we'll be celebrating International Women's Day and our Sisters on the Planet, with your help!

Post-Copenhagen- the Pros and Cons

2009-12-24T10:44:00.000-08:00

With all the reports, controversy, and rumors that have been swirling over the past two weeks, it's been a challenge keeping up with and making sense of what really went down in Copenhagen. Various parties involved hold very contrasting views over how negotiations turned out. China, UN Secretary Ban Ki Moon and even the vulnerable country of Bangladesh took a positive outlook, while Sweden, Bolivia, Brazil and others felt the resolution was unacceptable and demanded much stronger regulations and emissions cuts than what the U.S.-brokered "Copenhagen Accord", reached Saturday, calls for. Nonetheless, here is an attempt to break down the accord, in terms of both potential pros and cons:

PROS: During negotiations major countries, including China, the U.S., India and Europe, agreed that the risks of climate change could not be left unchecked. Included in the final Copenhagen Accord was a goal to restrict global temperature rise to no more than 2 degrees Celsius. Another section of the accord covers the commitment to support climate change adaptation projects in developing countries through a collective international fund of $100 billion per year until 2020.

CONS: The non-legally binding Copenhagen Accord, however, was not adopted by the UN -- only "taken note of" -- and it was not supported by all countries represented at negotiations. The accord was labeled by the Sudanese Chairman of the G77, the largest developing country bloc represented at the COP15, as comparable to a "suicide pact" -- which he would not be entering into. Also, the accord's emissions targets do not fall in line with what science says is necessary to actually meet the goal of keeping global temperature rise under 2 degrees Celsius.

While this may be oversimplifying things, all in all it seems that though hopes for a global treaty were high prior to last week's summit (a potential climax of decades of debate), realistic expectations were probably quite a bit lower. Perhaps a more realistic goal for the close of Copenhagen was the laying of groundwork necessary to continue talks of a binding treaty into 2010. This goal may indeed have been realized, as historically speaking no preceding summit has reached such a consensus on the urgency of climate change. As stated by UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer, "We now have a package to work with and begin immediate action.” Only time will tell.

For more on the summit outcome via a first-hand account from the Mother Nature Network's blogger Karl Burkart, click here.

Update for Saturday's Climate Justice Stunt

2009-12-10T20:37:00.000-08:00

The time has come to make our big push on global leaders in Copenhagen, and demand that they deliver a fair, ambitious and binding climate agreement next week at the close of the summit!

As a reminder, we will be gathering Saturday in downtown San Francisco from 12-4pm, to ask passersby to sign giant holiday cards, wishing our global leaders a happy holiday and asking them for a REAL DEAL, which we will then be photographing and sending to representatives in order to add San Francisco to the list of cities taking action around this important issue.

TWO THINGS TO NOTE:

1) Due to the unfortunate forecast, we have been forced to find a back-up location for where we can do this stunt. IN THE EVENT OF RAIN, we will be convening under the overhang outside the Virgin Records store (2 Stockton, cross streets Ellis/Market). If for some reason it DOES NOT RAIN, we will be gathering at the ORIGINAL LOCATION (corner of Stockton/Geary, Union Square steps). Please check the sky before attempting to find us! We will be in one of these two places, only 2 blocks apart.

2) For those interested in actively VOLUNTEERING with us tomorrow (a.k.a. holding signs/cards, handing out candy/buttons, gathering signatures), please come in your fanciest holiday attire. This includes: reindeer ears, elf hats/shoes/stockings, Santa hats, Hanukka pins, ugly holiday sweaters, or anything else you have to express your holiday spirit of choice and draw attention. We will have a few Oxfam t-shirts on hand, face paint and extra flare if you have none or forget yours. And remember to dress warmly!

By participating in the event tomorrow you will be joining a global action of thousands (maybe even millions) of concerned citizens, so we hope to see you Saturday!

The World Wants a Real Deal!

2009-11-18T20:32:00.000-08:00

Just as the climate negotiations start to heat up, the world needs to rise up and tell our leaders that the World Wants a Real Deal.

On the 12th day of the 12th month people will come together in various cities around the world to demand a Real Deal – the most important global signing event for the future of the world. This massive action will send a simple, clear message to their leaders: It is time to sign a fair, ambitious and binding climate treaty.

The timing of the action is planned to take place exactly at the midpoint of the Copenhagen climate talks. At this crucial moment, amidst the culmination of years of preparation, organizing, and negotiation around the globe, the World Wants a Real Deal will send a resounding message to the world leaders and negotiators in Copenhagen that the public is ready to sign a Fair, Ambitious and Binding treaty. Hundreds of events will be taking place worldwide!

Want to get involved in San Francisco? Here are two opportunities!

Sign a Real Deal! - Planning Meeting:
When: 6:30pm, Monday, December 7, 2009
Where: Milano's Pizzeria, 1330 9th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94122
(between Irving St & Judah St., accessible off the N-Judah Muni, and the 43, 44, and 6 buses)
Why: To plan the details and assign responsibilities (and costumes!) to those who would like to contribute to the climate stunt in SF on Dec. 12. We will also be practicing our "elevator pitches" to make sure everyone is comfortable talking with people about climate change.

Sign a Real Deal! - Climate Stunt:
When: 12pm - 5pm, Saturday, December 12, 2009
Where: Union Square steps on the corner of Stockton and Geary, Downtown San Francisco
Why: To raise awareness about the urgency of creating a comprehensive international climate treaty at Copenhagen, by collecting signatures on giant holiday cards from Oxfam to the global leaders participating in the conference. In the spirit of the holidays, we will be dressing as elves, reindeer, Santa and anything else people can think of!

If you can't directly participate, or attend the planning, we would still love to have you come to the stunt on the 12th to add your signature to enormous holiday cards we will be asking passersby to sign to global leaders.

RSVP to Oxfam.sf@gmail.com or to the Facebook invitation HERE

Coldplay Concert Success!

2009-07-17T00:13:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to the amazing volunteers who gave their time Monday night and joined the movement to end hunger, poverty and injustice with thousands of other Coldplay fans around the world! The outreach effort was a huge success, as we surpassed our goal and collected almost 900 petition signatures and E-Action Alert sign ups! All this while having fun and hearing great music!!!

What you should consider doing...

*Click HERE to follow Oxfam America's Soha Yassine as she goes on tour with Coldplay.

*Interested in volunteering at a concert? Email oxfam.sf@gmail.com and let us know!

*Want to make sure you don't miss any urgent climate change campaign actions? Join the Climate Change Action Team!

House Passes Historic Climate Bill!

2009-06-28T16:25:00.001-07:00

On Friday, June 26th, the US House of Representatives passed the historic American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) by a vote of 219 to 212. Thank you to everyone who took action in support of this legislation! Members of the Bay Area's congressional delegation who voted for this critical bill included Barbara Lee, Anna Eshoo, Nancy Pelosi, Jackie Speier, Mike Honda,Zoe Lofgren and Lynne Woolsey. We applaud their votes.

Websites of the Congressional Quarterly, Washington Post, and the Committee on Energy and Commerce offer summaries of ACES.

The legislation does contain some investments in climate adaptation projects that will help the world's most vulnerable communities better cope with the effects of climate change. Greater funding for these cost-effective projects is needed. Responding to the House's action, Oxfam America President Raymond Offenheiser said the bill "finally addresses the immediate needs of vulnerable communities everywhere who are being hit first and worst by the negative impacts of climate change."

ACES now moves to the Senate, which is expected to consider it in September. Before becoming law, the Senate must approve the bill, a conference committee must reconcile any differences between the House and Senate versions, and final votes must be taken. Then President Obama will be empowered to sign it into law.

Stay tuned for more information...

Take Action for Climate Justice!

2009-06-17T21:00:00.000-07:00

As the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) heads to the floor of the US House of Representatives, it's vital to preserve and enhance the climate adaptation funding, which will invest in life-saving projects to help vulnerable communities cope with climate change, found in the current version of the bill. Take a moment to add your voice to those calling for climate justice by completing this quick-and-easy form.

A May 21 Oxfam America press release included an assessment of international adaptation funding as passed by the Energy and Commerce Committee:

International Adaptation — The bill establishes an important program for international climate adaptation in the most vulnerable developing countries, but the bill allocates only 1% of the value from the bill (about $750 million a year) for the program. This is an important start but far short of the significant need in developing countries already facing serious climate-related impacts and the amount that will be necessary to achieve a global agreement.

As noted here, current adaptation funding in ACES is only a small step in the right direction. Ask Congress to take advantage of this opportunity to stop harming the environment and start helping those already suffering from climate change through greater investment in adaptation. Stay tuned for developments!

Congressional resolution recognizes the plight of women in the face of climate change

2009-04-23T21:00:00.000-07:00

Oxfam America praised a resolution introduced in the US House of Representatives recognizing the disparate impact of climate change on women and the efforts of women globally to address climate change.

Introduced last week by Congresswomen Barbara Lee (D-CA), Betty McCollum (D-MN) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA), House Concurrent Resolution 98 affirms the commitment of Congress to support women globally to prepare for, build resilience for, and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

"The efforts of Congresswomen Lee, McCollum, and Eshoo will help raise awareness about the impacts of global warming on women. The resolution is timely, especially as Congress undertakes legislative action on global warming," said Vicky Rateau, manager of Oxfam America's climate change campaign.

When natural disasters strike, they hit poor communities first and worst, according to Oxfam. Since women make up an estimated 70 percent of those living below the poverty line, they are most likely to bear the heaviest burdens. At the same time, women are often left out of the conversation about adapting to climate change, even though they are sometimes in the best position to provide solutions.

The resolution affirms the commitment of Congress to empower women to have a voice in the planning and implementation of strategies to address climate change so that their roles and resources are taken into account. The resolution also encourages President Obama to consider the impacts of climate change on women while developing policies and programs to address climate change.

Co-sponsors of the resolution include Rep. Baldwin, Rep. Butterfield, Rep. Capps, Rep. Christensen, Rep. Clarke, Rep. Edwards, Rep. Hastings, Rep. Kucinich, Rep Lewis, Rep. Payne, and Rep. Speier.

"As we work to address the devastating impacts of climate change on a global and national level, we must ensure that our policies help women prepare for, build their resilience, and adapt to the adverse impact that climate change has across the globe," said Rateau.

2009-02-18T21:45:00.000-08:00

We are thrilled to announce that Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (14th District) has accepted Oxfam's invitation to become a Sisters on the Planet Ambassador! She joins many other prominent women leaders across the US who have accepted leadership roles in highlighting the effects of climate change on women. Other S.O.P. Ambassadors include Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius; award-winning journalist Elizabeth Becker; Reverend Sally Bingham; and League of Women Voters president Mary Wilson.

We are also thrilled to announce our upcoming FREE San Francisco Screening of Sisters on the Planet!

When: Sunday, March 1st, 1:00-3:00pm
Where: Grace Cathedral- Gresham Hall
What: FREE Screening and Informative Afternoon
Why: See previous post below=)

RSVP to oxfam.sf@gmail.com. We hope to see you there!

Women as Agents of Change

2009-02-18T21:02:00.000-08:00

When natural disasters strike, they hit poor communities first and worst. And since women make up an estimated 70 percent of those living below the poverty line, they are most likely to bear the heaviest burdens. At the same time, women are often left out of the conversation about adapting to climate change, even though they are sometimes in the best position to provide solutions.

In most poor communities, women play dual roles. As providers, they usually work in agriculture or other informal sectors, and they collect food, water, and fuel. As caretakers, they look after the children, sick, and elderly; the home; and the family’s assets. As a result, women often have invaluable knowledge about adapting to erratic environmental changes. When women are included equally with men in disaster preparedness training, their survival rates improve.

However, socially constructed roles and responsibilities usually put women at a disadvantage in preparing for climate change. Women have less access to resources, are frequently unable to swim or leave the house unattended, and are less likely to migrate to look for shelter and work when a disaster hits. Statistically, women (and children) are more likely to die than
men during disasters.

When women participate in decision-making at national and community levels, they can help devise effective climate change solutions that build stronger communities.

Click here to download a PDF Climate Change and Women Fact Sheet!

Obama's Commitment; New SOP Version; Senator Boxer to Take Quick Action

2008-11-23T00:15:00.000-08:00

Obama's video speech at the Governors' Global Climate Summit in Los Angeles indicated that climate change is a high priority for the incoming Administration. Below are some of his remarks, and you can watch the video to experience the full speech.

"Few challenges facing America - and the world - are more urgent than combating climate change. The science is beyond dispute and the facts are clear. Sea levels are rising. Coastlines are shrinking. We've seen record drought, spreading famine, and storms that are growing stronger with each passing hurricane season. Climate change and our dependence on foreign oil, if left unaddressed, will continue to weaken our economy and threaten our national security."

"My presidency will mark a new chapter in America's leadership on climate change that will strengthen our security and create millions of new jobs in the process."

Following the president-elect's video speech, Oxfam America's VP for Policy and Communications, Jim Lyons, spoke at the Summit and showed an excellent new narrated version of Sisters on the Planet. Click here to watch the video.

A few days later, Sen. Barbara Boxer announced her action plan.

"President-elect Obama's clear, unequivocal commitment to stepping up to the challenge of global warming was music to my ears. I believe strongly that when we address the threat of unchecked global warming by investing in clean energy technologies and reducing our dependence on foreign oil, we also have a recipe for economic recovery. The time to start is now, and my colleagues and I are here to step up to President-elect Obama's call to action to address global warming and create millions of green jobs in America. Today I am announcing the first steps that I will be taking in connection with President-elect Obama's historic challenge to address global warming.

First, I will be introducing two pieces of legislation in January. The first bill will establish a grant program to reduce global warming emissions under the Clean Air Act with up to $15 billion a year available to spur innovations in clean energy, including advanced biofuels. This will be an economic stimulus and follows President-elect Obama's recommendation. Clean energy means green jobs. A new report from the U.S. Conference of Mayors estimates that by 2038, another 4.2 million green jobs could be added to the economy - thanks to the alternative energy and renewable energy industries, and the benefits of energy efficiency. That could account for 10 percent of job growth over the next 30 years. The second piece of legislation will direct the Environmental Protection Agency to set up a cap and trade system for greenhouse gases that meets the goals laid out by the President elect. This bill will reflect the strong partnership we will have with the new Administration, and will focus on achieving the emissions reductions needed while restoring the economy. It will be a streamlined bill, which will amend the Clean Air Act.

Next, I am announcing our first hearing in the 111th Congress. The hearing will take place as soon as possible after we convene in January, and will be entitled "How Fighting Global Warming is Good for the Economy and Will Create Jobs."

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will be represented next month at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poznan, Poland. I am sending my top Committee staff, who will act as my representatives in meetings with international leaders as they prepare for a new global agreement to address greenhouse gas emissions, which will be completed in 2009 in Denmark. In addition, Senator Klobuchar will be attending and plans to report back to President-elect Obama and to our Committee. Other Senators from the Committee may join her. President-elect Obama told the world on Tuesday that our country will be an ally in the fight against global warming. I am here to say that our Committee stands ready to be a tireless ally in that effort."

2008-11-03T13:04:00.000-08:00

You are invited to the launch party for Global Verve, a conscious jewelry collection. Participate in a unique effort to bring global awareness, and experience "Sisters on the Planet," a new project of Oxfam America.

NOVEMBER 5, 2008 6pm-8:30pm
7:15 (20 minute film screening)
SECESSION ART & DESIGN
3361 Mission St @ 30th
San Francisco 94110

R S V P to Josie Adele:
josie@globalvervedesigns.com or 415.336.0106

Hunger Banquet November 18th... join us!

2008-10-28T21:46:00.000-07:00

Events Update

2008-09-20T21:23:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to everyone who joined us on September 4th in Palo Alto for the premier U.S. screening of "Sisters on the Planet." We had a great turn out with over 60 people attending! Plans are in the works for a San Francisco and San Jose screening, along with other exciting fall events, so be sure to sign up for local updates to receive the latest invitations.

Confirmed upcoming events include:

October 18th:
We've been invited to table and promote "Sisters on the Planet" at an event in Saratoga hosted by the League of Women Voters. More details to come soon, but we'll need a few volunteers so please let us know if you're available to help out (carpool available).

November 18th:
Hunger Banquet at the Dorothy Stang Center for Social Justice and Community Engagement in Belmont (at Notre Dame de Namur Universtity). This is a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with this great group dedicated to increasing awareness, dialogue, and activism around the issues of social and environmental justice. The more the merrier, so please let us know if you're available to attend and if you're interested in volunteering.

You're Invited...

2008-08-25T09:10:00.000-07:00

What: Premier Screening of Oxfam's Documentary "Sisters on the Planet"
When: Thursday, Sept. 4th
Time: 6 - 8 p.m.
Where: Lucie Stern Center
1305 Middlefield Road
Palo Alto, CA 94301

The San Francisco Oxfam Action Corps invites you to a free reception and screening to honor the launch of Oxfam's new film, "Sisters on the Planet," which tells the story of four women determined to do whatever they can to fight climate change.

As obvious as it sounds, climate change affects everybody. But climate change is already having a disproportionate impact on people in poor communities, and it’s hitting women hardest.

It’s not the easiest idea to understand, so to help explain we’ve made these short films about women, in both rich and poor countries, who are determined to do whatever they can to put a stop to climate change.

Watch them and become aware of the impact our changing climate is having on people’s lives. And be inspired to join the fight against climate change (yummy hors d'oeuvres and wine too!).

Special Guests Attending:

Oxfam America welcomes featured “Sister” Sharon Hanshaw, executive director of Biloxi organization Coastal Women for Change, a community action organization dedicated to the preservation and restoration of their Biloxi neighborhoods and way of life.

Representative Anna Eshoo (CA-14) has also been invited to attend the Oxfam America “Sisters on the Planet” Screening and Reception and we hope that she will be able to attend.

Please email kdanko@oxfamamerica.org soon to reserve your spot.

Some great news, and some not so great news...

2008-07-13T00:35:00.000-07:00

First, the great news. With your help, last week Oxfam hit its goal of ONE MILLION people worldwide who signed our petition calling on the G8 leaders to put climate change and poverty at the top of the agenda. This is an amazing achievement. It shows the G8 leaders that the world is demanding they act now. Thank you for helping to push us over the top!

Now for the bad news. While the G8 leaders agreed to try to cut emissions by half by 2050, they did not come up with a plan to reach that goal or any short-term benchmarks-and without those, their promise could be just a lot of hot air. Oxfam works every day with people whose lives and livelihoods are already being affected by climate change, so we know the devastating effects it has on poor people. But we can’t win this fight alone. Please take a moment to email congress and tell the presidential candidates to:

1) Commit the US to reducing its global warming pollution to a level consistent with limiting warming to 2 degrees Celsius over preindustrial levels;

2) Dedicate new and sufficient funding to help developing countries adapt to climate change impacts such as flooding, droughts, crop failures, and disease;

3) Shift subsidies for fossil fuels like oil and coal to support clean energy solutions;

4) Engage constructively in international negotiations and committing the US to mandatory targets to reduce global warming pollution.

Oxfam's Climate Change Campaign Hits YouTube

2008-06-18T23:18:00.000-07:00

Oxfam America has released a YouTube video about the organization's new climate change campaign. With narration from Oxfam America's president, personal stories from those hit first and worst by climate change, photos of Action Corps volunteers in action, and an aspiring rapper from Uganda, the video really makes the case for taking action on climate change and climate change adaptation. It's very compelling and is only three minutes long, so watch it now!

After watching the video, you'll probably want to take action. You can start right away by telling the presidential candidates to make climate change and its impact on the poor a priority. Then, make sure you're signed up for the Oxfam Action Corps - San Francisco listserv. We'll keep you informed on local news, events, and volunteer opportunities. The San Francisco Bay Area Oxfam Action Corps is a dynamic, nonpartisan volunteer team committed to lasting solutions to poverty and injustice. We're open to all. If you're interested in volunteering or have ideas about how we reach your community, please email us at oxfam.sf@gmail.com.

Climate Security Act Goes on Ice

2008-06-15T23:27:00.000-07:00

The Climate Security Act of 2008, introduced by Senators Lieberman and Warner, stalled in the Senate last week, along with its funding for international climate change adaptation. Congress is likely to pickup the issue next year.

The bill was taken off the congressional docket after a cloture vote failed, 48-36. The legislation would have created a carbon cap-and-trade system within the United States, with revenue from the auction of carbon credits going toward a number of climate-related initiatives, including critical climate change adaptation programs for the world's most vulnerable communities (learn more about adaptation here). Most sources, such as Congressional Quarterly, state that the bill will be readdressed next year.

The Climate Security Act's status is not unexpected and should not be viewed as a defeat. Work on the bill in this session has set the stage for next year and several important developments hold promise. The bill was co-sponsored by twelve senators representing both sides of the aisle, with much credit being owed to California's own Sen. Barbara Boxer. The bill put a human face on climate change, explicitly citing the disproportionate impact it has on the world's poor and providing funds to help those communities cope.

Thanks to everyone who contacted Congress about the bill. Be sure to follow developments because, while the Climate Security Act will remain high-and-dry this year, millions of struggling families won't. Adaptation funding is desperately needed so action must resume as soon as the next congress gets down to business. In the meantime, sign this petition asking the presidential candidates to help the poor adapt to climate change.

The SF Oxfam Action Corps Enters Its 2nd Year!

2008-04-15T22:11:00.000-07:00

One year ago this week, Oxfam America founded ten Oxfam Action Corps groups, including Oxfam Action Corps - San Francisco. Through grassroots organizing and outreach, these teams mobilized supporters in their regions to ask Congress for a reformed Farm Bill. Although the Farm Bill continues to languish in Congress and current versions of the bill keep the trade-distorting subsidies linked to poverty abroad, the Oxfam Action Corps have left their mark. The Wall Street Journal gave a nod to our David and Goliath-like campaign, writing "Some groups argued that farm subsidies hurt poor, unsubsidized farmers in the developing world.... Antipoverty group Oxfam America tapped into a grass-roots network around the country to raise awareness of the issue."

Here in San Francisco, our outreach efforts took us to:

11 concerts
2 music festivals
3 community festivals and fair trade fairs
1 hunger banquet
3 house parties
1 speaking event
1 movie screening in Dolores Park
and 12 visits to congressional offices!!!

Through these efforts and more, we've reached thousands of people and have had a lot of fun along the way! The second year of the SF Oxfam Action Corps brings new challenges, opportunities, and a climate change campaign with a poverty focus. You can get involved; there are many ways to make a difference in the fight against poverty and injustice without writing a check. Email oxfam.sf@gmail.com to learn about volunteer opportunities. There is truly something for everyone.

Our Next Event:
What: Earth Day Festival
When: This Sunday, April 20th from 12:00 - 6:00 pm.
Where: S.F. Golden Gate Park Green Apple Music Festival

If you’re interested in getting involved and volunteering with Oxfam at this fun event, please respond to this email and let us know what shifts you’re interested in. Shifts are from 12-2pm, 2-4pm and 4-6pm. Please also let us know if you’re interested in participating in our “Walk for Climate Justice” stunt, to take place around 2:30 -3:00 pm.

More About the Stunt:
While least responsible for causing climate change, poor people
bear the brunt of its impacts. As an international relief and
development organization dedicated to finding lasting solutions to
poverty and injustice, Oxfam America is undertaking a campaign
to create equitable solutions to the crisis. We are asking that the
US cut greenhouse gas emissions and provide financial assistance
so that the most vulnerable communities can adapt.

We’ve all seen the images on the evening news: the droughts,
floods, hunger, and disease. Decades of greenhouse gas emis-
sions have finally caught up with our climate—and it’s the poorest
among us who are worst affected. Oxfam America organized the
“Walk for Climate Justice” to draw attention to these impacts and to
highlight the human face of climate change. The walk is a visual
representation of the current and future hardships caused by er-
ratic temperature and rainfall, flooding, drought, competition over
scarce resources—and the growing distance that poor people,
especially women and children, will have to walk for water.

What the stunt looks like:
By dressing in white and carrying water buckets a significant
distance as part of a procession, you will stand in for people
around the world who, because of the negative effects of climate
change, must travel farther and experience increased hardship
in order to find fresh water and other vital resources. You will then
read dramatized stories about real people around the world who
are affected by climate change.

Looking Ahead

2008-03-30T14:57:00.000-07:00

Although the fight for a fair Farm Bill continues, we'd like to start this message by thanking you for your ongoing support. Because of you,
real gains have been made for farmers and their families. It looks as
though the proposed Farm Bill will provide for increased funding for
minority farmers, domestic hunger programs, and conservation
initiatives. And even as the Farm Bill moves along, Oxfam's fight
against global poverty and injustice continues.

In the coming months, we will advocate for the rights of poor communities with regard to the oil, gas, and mining industries. We have also begun a new campaign to find equitable solutions to the global crisis of climate change, which affects poor people first and worst. These are big issues, but with your help, we can make a difference.

Again, we thank you for all your support and hope that you will stay involved as we continue to cultivate change!

Legislative Update:
It is looking less and less likely that key House and Senate leaders
will be able to reach a deal acceptable to the White House. If a deal
cannot be reached that the president is willing to sign, the newly
appointed secretary of agriculture, Ed Schafer, has said that there
will likely be no new Farm Bill this year and that the current Farm Bill
will have to be extended. But as we have all seen throughout this long fight, movement in Congress is fluid, so stay tuned!

Thanks to advocacy work by Oxfam America, volunteers like you, and
partners, the new Farm Bill could begin to address a history of
discrimination in US agriculture programs.

Tell Your Friends:
If you know of others interested in joining the fight to end poverty and injustice, please encourage them to visit our page, join our e-community and email Megimegs1@yahoo.com for more information.

Senate Rigs Rules to Kill Farm Bill Reform

2007-12-19T12:40:00.000-08:00

The Senate voted December 13th to drive a stake in the heart of farm bill reform and to continue current federal farm subsidies largely unchanged. By a vote of 56-43, Senators rejected a key reform measure—the Dorgan-Grassley Payment Limits amendment—which would have established a $250,000 limit for federal farm subsidy payments to agricultural producers. Should other farm reform amendments be defeated, the Senate farm bill will largely keep intact the existing rules for payments to farmers which have often been sidestepped in creative ways leading to million dollar payments for many large, wealthy farmers.

How could the payment limits reform amendment lose despite a vote of 56-43 in favor of the amendment? Under rules agreed to by the Senate leadership, key amendments that would have reformed a broken farm safety net system required a 60 vote margin for passage.

Oxfam President, Ray Offenheiser, criticized the Senate's decision to change the rules for this and other key reform measures. "Despite the fact that a majority of Senators voted for reforming a bloated and unfair federal farm subsidy system, no reform was adopted."

"Opponents of farm policy reform are out of step with Americans and even with the majority of their colleagues. So, they rigged the rules for this key vote to ensure that despite majority support, it would not be adopted. This decision to change the rules speaks volumes about the real commitment to change by the Senate Democratic leadership. It is all talk but little action."

The consequences of this vote and the Senate's decision yesterday to reject the larger reform measure offered by Senators Lugar and Lautenberg, mean that US farm policy will continue to benefit the rich over the poor, both in the United States and abroad.

Relatively few US farmers participate in farm programs. Yet, for those who do, the benefits flow largely to a small minority of producers in states whose elected officials fiercely protect their handouts from their seats on the agriculture committees in the House and the Senate. While few would have expected reform to come from these committees, it was reasonable to believe that the new Democratic leadership in the House and the Senate would have advocated reforms consistent with their message of change. Sadly, we have seen that this is not the case in either body of the Congress.

Just as the US has rigged its trading rules to benefit large corporate farms at the expense of developing countries and farmers who struggle to survive on a dollar a day, the Senate elected to rig the rules for voting on essential farm policy reforms so that no reform was possible. Family farmers in the US, impoverished families abroad who are dependent upon agriculture to survive, and American taxpayers who foot the bill for unnecessary US farm subsidies will ultimately pay the price.

Action Alert!

2007-11-05T18:11:00.000-08:00

US Senators Ready to Vote on the Farm Bill. Tell Them to Stand Up for Poor Farmers Here and Abroad!

Time is running out for Congress to do the right thing on the Farm Bill. If a few key US Senators don’t take a stand, Congress could sell out poor farmers with policies that have devastating effects on rural communities here and abroad.

The Senate begins debating the Farm Bill today. Two key amendments that would fight poverty and injustice, the Dorgan-Grassley Payment Limits Amendment and the Lugar-Lautenberg FRESH Amendment, could be up for a vote as early as Tuesday or Wednesday. We need you to call your Senators now and ask them to vote yes in favor of these two key amendments. Phone calls are one of the strongest ways to make your voice heard.

It's fast and simple, and it will make a big difference. And to make it easier, we are providing a script for you to use below. Please follow these simple instructions.

1. Call 1-800-977-1912 and listen to the prerecorded message.
2. An automated message will tell you what to say.
3. Please enter this six-digit code: 630367.
4. You will be connected to Senator Feinstein’s office.
5. Hang up and call Senator Boxer using the toll free number and the code 630368

"Hello, my name is _________ and I am a constituent from __________, California. I would like you to vote yes on the Dorgan-Grassley Payment Limits Amendment and on the Lugar-Lautenberg FRESH Amendment to the Farm Bill. These amendments will reduce unfair subsidies and shift funds to programs that feed hungry families, protect the environment, and help poor and minority farmers. Thank you for your time."

(If you have technical difficulties please try again or dial the Capitol switchboard directly at 202-224-3121 and ask for your Senator)

You can be sure the special interest groups will be trying to defeat these amendments, so it is critical that you call today. Senators listen to their constituents. They want to hear from you!

Volunteer at Green Fest!

2007-11-03T18:16:00.000-07:00

Green Festivals are a celebration of what’s working in our communities– for people, for businesses and for the environment.

Green Fest San Francisco, taking place November 9, 10 & 11th, brings together local and national socially responsible businesses, and environmental, social justice and community organizations. Hundreds of thousands of concerned individuals over the years have attended these “parties with a purpose” aimed at forging a just, sustainable, inclusive economy – a green economy.

Oxfam will be there all 3 days, advocating for social and economic justice by educating Bay Area attendees about their role in Making Trade Fair!

There are still spots available to volunteer with Oxfam at this important and fun event! Volunteer by e-mailing Megimegs1@yahoo.com.

Action Alert:

2007-09-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

US Senators are Getting Ready to Vote on the Farm Bill. Tell Them to Stand Up for Poor Farmers Here and Abroad!

1. LEARN
Time is running out for Congress to do the right thing on the Farm Bill. If a few key US Senators don’t take a stand, Congress could sell out poor farmers with policies that have devastating effects on rural communities here and abroad. Since the House has already acted, the Senate is next in line for a vote. Oxfam is encouraging all our supporters and allies to ask their US Senators to vote in support of Farm Bill reform that reduces trade-distorting subsidies for commodities such as cotton. These subsidies lead to excess production, reducing world market prices and undercutting those in developing nations who depend on agriculture to survive.

By reforming trade-distorting subsidies, Congress could help 10 million people in West Africa alone, who depend on cotton for their livelihoods. Cotton is often the only source of cash income for these families who live on less than $1 a day per person. With the added income from increased cotton prices, the typical West African cotton farming family could cover the costs of:
• one year’s worth of health care for four to 10 people,
• or one year of schooling for two to 10 children,
• or one year’s food supply for one or two children.

2. ACT
Since every vote matters, can you take a moment to call your US Senators today?
For your convenience, we have set up a toll-free 800 number with simple instructions on what to say.
1. Please call 1-800-977-1912
2. An automated message will give you a brief introduction.
3. When prompted, press 630367 for Senator Dianne Feinstein
OR 630368 for Senator Barbara Boxer.
4. After reaching your first US Senator, please hang up and repeat the instructions to reach your second US Senator.

Be sure to tell the staff member who answers the phone that you are a constituent and that you want your US Senator to vote in support of Farm Bill reform that reduces trade-distorting subsidies for commodities such as cotton. Tell them that these subsidies lead to excess production, reducing world market prices and undercutting the poor in developing nations who depend on agriculture to survive.

3. CHANGE
It will only take a minute. A few well-placed calls from people like you can help the world’s poorest farmers. Please call today!

Working Together for Change: The Oxfam Hunger Banquet, September 23rd

2007-09-04T21:04:00.000-07:00

You may think hunger is about too many people and too little food. That is not the case. Our rich and bountiful planet produces enough food to feed every woman, man, and child on earth. Hunger is about power. Its roots lie in inequalities in access to education and resources. The results are illiteracy, poverty, war, and the inability of families to grow or buy food. Today, you join Oxfam's fight against hunger and poverty.

There are solutions. Altering the current system of trade so that it benefits all countries, rich and poor, will help reverse many inequalities that currently keep people poor. **For example, if the poorest regions of the world increased their share of world exports by just 1%, they could lift 128 million people out of poverty!

Instead, poor countries are forced to open up their markets to floods of cheap imports; if they don't, vital aid dollars will be cut off. Yet for every dollar given to poor countries in aid, $2 is lost because of unfair trade barriers against their exports. More than 40% of the world's population lives in low income countries—yet these countries account for only 3% of world trade. Today's rules of trade make so-called "free trade" very profitable for rich countries but hinder poor country's access to a better life for its citizens.

US and European countries also spend billions on agricultural subsides, mostly to large and wealthy agribusiness, putting farmers in poor countries AND in the US out of business, or driving down their incomes, and furthering the demise of small farmers globally. Oxfam believes that human rights are not contingent on our country of origin, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or the money we have or need. Rather, human rights are fundamental and nonnegotiable.

Here's a new version of an old story:
-Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day
-Teach a man to fish, he'll eat for a life time
-But, we must also ask ourselves, who controls the river?

Who controls the river is an important question because there may well be a company whose factory is polluting upstream. A government or international institution could be planning to build a dam, displacing thousands of villagers. One large fishing company may be over fishing, placing the entire livelihood of ordinary fishers at risk. Oxfam's mission is one that is quite ambitious: we want to end hunger, poverty and injustice. And Oxfam believes the question of injustice-- whether it be social, economic, or political injustice-- goes to the heart of the question, who controls the river?

Please join us at this unique, powerful and memerable event to learn more and experience firsthand how our decisions affect others in the world.

What: Oxfam Hunger Banquet
When: Sunday, September 23, 2007; 5:30-7:30pm
Where: Haight Ashbury Food Program
Address: 1525 Waller Street at Belvedere
San Francisco, CA 94117
RSVP: Megimegs1@yahoo.com

Join us at Dolores Park! Aug. 16th

2007-08-05T16:17:00.000-07:00

2007-07-29T10:19:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, July 26th, the House of Representatives passed its version of the Farm Bill without any significant subsidy reform. It missed a rare opportunity to overhaul US trade distorting subsidies that benefit large, corporate operations at the expense of family farmers, rural communities, and efforts to reduce global poverty. It made minimal progress in funding for nutrition, conservation, and rural development programs.

Although the Fairness Amendment was defeated, our advocacy for it helped bring about other benefits. In the hours prior to the vote, House leadership negotiated last minute funding increases for various programs, in effect siphoning votes away from the Amendment from key groups like domestic nutrition advocates, foreign food aid supporters, and members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

These are among the improvements that now appear in the House version of the Farm Bill :

-$4 billion for domestic hunger prevention programs
-$1.6 billion for healthier food systems, including more fresh fruits & veggies for school lunches and funding for organics
-$1.1 billion in mandatory spending for McGovern-Dole, a program to provide lunches for children in Africa
funds to support settlement of USDA racial discrimination lawsuits
-$150 million for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers
a tighter income eligibility standard for farm subsidy recipients, lowering the maximum eligible income to $500,000 from the previous $2.5 million.
-Closing loopholes for abuse and fraud through the elimination of the 3-entity rule, and direct attribution of payments.

Our will is as strong as ever, and we will now take this fight to the Senate for the next round of the law-making process. Thanks to our efforts, public outcry for subsidy reform has risen to new heights, and Congress will continue to feel the pressure.

As we go forward to consideration of the Farm Bill in the Senate, let’s make sure that we continue to move in this positive direction. In the weeks to come, we need to emphasize to our Senators that in addition to what the House accomplished, they need to address trade distorting subsidies. These specific types of commodity subsidies continue to contribute to farm consolidation, environmental problems, and decline in rural communities. They also cause surplus production that devastates rural communities in the poorest nations around the world.

Thank you so much for all your tremendous work in this endeavor. Let us now go forward and work for a Farm Bill that truly addresses hunger and poverty around the world. Take a moment to rest and pat yourself on the back for putting some muscle into the grassroots democratic process. Then let’s get back to it!

Us Farm Policy Moving From Bad To Worse

2007-06-20T15:07:00.000-07:00

In reaction to today’s House of Representatives commodity subcommittee text for the Farm Bill, Raymond C. Offenheiser, President of Oxfam America, made the following statement:

"The text approved by the Commodity Subcommittee for the 2007 Farm Bill moves US farm policy from bad to worse. The subcommittee bill continues current farm commodity subsidies and makes matters worse by reinstating additional subsidies for cotton farmers that were eliminated by the previous Congress. This cotton program was ruled illegal by the World Trade Organization, but the subcommittee has parsed the language to try to slide the subsidy under the WTO screen.

"The subcommittee’s legislation does little to address trade distorting subsidies and signals to our trading partners that Congress doesn't care about fairness in global trade or the impacts of US farm subsidies abroad. In fact, the legislative language reverses progress in many areas.

"Congress can still reform US farm programs. Reform is essential since most US farmers receive little or no benefit from current farm programs, and farmers overseas continue to be harmed by current policy.

“If Congress is to bring more equity to current farm programs and provide more resources to conserve our lands, support rural communities, address the needs of Americans in poverty, and to improve our energy security, changes in the commodity programs are essential. But the action by the Commodities Subcommittee today is a disappointment and is clearly inconsistent with the reform agenda advocated by Congressional leaders”.

Legislative Update:

2007-05-30T13:28:00.000-07:00

Action is underway to write the 2007 Farm Bill. Recently House Agriculture Committee Chairman, Colin Peterson (D-MN) introduced his version of the Farm Bill. Now, it's the subcommittees turn to work on the bill. A full agriculture committee vote is expected in June and the Chairman still hopes to have the bill voted on by the full House before Congress breaks for the August recess.

Progress in the Senate is expected to fall behind the work in the House, but both Chairmen still insist Farm Bill work will be completed by Thanksgiving. With Farm Bill activity in full swing in Congress, now is the time Members need to hear from you!

A note about Colin Peterson... as a Congressman from MN he has to answer to many large, commodity producing farmers, who get hundreds and hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars from the government in the form of outdated subsidies. Obviously, they do not want to lose these huge payments, and have dedicated lots of money and power to lobbying Peterson to not propose meaningful reform!

I am very sad to say, but our good speaker Nancy Pelosi has said that she is inclined to follow the recommendations of the Ag. Chairman (Colin Peterson)... NOT GOOD!

Once a Farm Bill comes out of the House Agriculture Committee and is sent to the floor for a vote by all 435 members, there will be opportunities for amendments to the bill. This is where Nancy Pelosi and the House leadership have enormous power over the farm bill. The number and type of amendments allowed is essentially controlled by the House leadership. If Colin Peterson really has an agreement with the leadership to prevent a vote on any meaningful amendments to the farm bill on the floor, then anyone pursuing an entirely floor strategy is doomed.

This is a huge deal! If Pelosi blocks amendments on the bill, it is very possible that reforms suppported by the majority of the House will not be in the House version of the Farm Bill because votes will never be allowed. This would be a subversion of democracy- one committee being allowed to write an enormously important piece of legislation without regard to the desires of the rest of the House.

Concert Outreach Opportunities!

2007-05-28T18:39:00.000-07:00

We'll be tabling at some great upcoming concerts in the Bay Area, and we need your help. Concert tabling is a lot of fun -- you get to work with great people, rap to more great people about fair trade and the Farm Bill, and you get to watch the show for FREE! Plus, we'll give you a training before the tabling, so you'll either know the answers to people's questions, or you'll at least know where to find them. It's a great way to help build the movement for Farm Bill reform in California while having fun, too.

Bay Area Oxfam Action Corps tabling events at upcoming concerts:

June 1 & 2: Arcade Fire - Greek Theater, Berkeley: www.arcadefire.com

June 9: Live 105 Festival - Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View - NorCal's biggest alternative music festival - Bloc Party, Interpol, Queens Of The Stone Age, Kaiser Chiefs, Social D., and more! www.live105.com

July 1: Warped Tour - Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View - punk, ska & extreme sports festival: www.warpedtour.com

August 3: Reggae Rising - Humboldt - Sly & Robbie, Steel Pulse, Ziggy Marley & more: www.reggaerising.com

Sept 29: Robert Randolph, SF Blues Festival - Great Meadow, Fort Mason, SF - www.sfblues.com

Space is limited, so sign up today! E-mail:
Megimegs1@yahoo.com.

Join The Oxfam Action Corps!

2007-05-24T21:47:00.000-07:00

Let us introduce ourselves... we are Megan and Jessica, the Oxfam Action Corps field organizers for the San Francisco Bay Area. We have an extraordinary opportunity to create meaningful positive change during the next few months, and would love your help! Join us as we call on Congress to reduce misguided agriculture subsidies and redirect the money to the programs that need it the most! Please take a minute to join our Bay Area listserve by clicking on "Get Involved" link.

Background: The Oxfam Action Corps started as an initiative to cultivate 20 volunteers from 10 key cities to provide Oxfam America with additional campaigning clout and grassroots outreach. From now through the fall, we will focus on reforming the Farm Bill, a law that will govern our farm, food, and conservation policy over the next five years. The broader goal is to create a strong base of activists for Oxfam’s campaigning work in the future.

Our early efforts have been both fun and effective! Our concert outreach at DJ Shadow was great, and we have many more concert outreach opportunities available to you throughout the summer... dates will be posted soon. Our collaborative World Fair Trade Day celebration in Dolores Park was also very successful and fun, as we joined forces with the Bay Area Fair trade Coalition, Alter Eco, Global Exchange, Equal Exchange, and Barefoot Coffee Roasters to promote fair trade awareness and educate San Francisco residents about their role in reforming the Farm Bill and getting Rep. Pelosi's attention. We would be very excited to have you on board and look forward to working with you soon!

Join Oxfam's campaign to change the rules and double standards that keep farmers from getting a fair price!

2007-05-24T17:25:00.000-07:00

Devised during the Great Depression, the Farm Bill was designed to give American farmers a safety net when the market bottomed out.

Today's Farm Bill gives out commodity subsidies, or large government payments made to producers of a small number of crops. Most American farmers get little or nothing. Meanwhile, these subsidies don't alleviate the biggest problems in rural communities: lack of medical services, poor schools, population loss, and environmental degradation.

While the Farm Bill falls short in the US, it also hurts farmers in developing countries. By encouraging the overproduction of crops such as cotton and rice, commodity subsidies create a glut that drives down world prices, undermining the livelihoods of millions of small farmers around the world. This situation is not only unfair; it violates international rules set by the World Trade Organization.

The money we're spending on these misguided subsidies should be redirected to the programs that help the people most in need. More money should go to providing Internet access for rural communities, food stamps for poor families, conservation programs that protect rivers and streams, and the research and development of renewable sources of energy.

The time is right and the momentum is growing. Ask Congress to revamp the Farm Bill. Let's put our tax money to work for farmers, families, and our future.