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Oxfam Action Corps in 2012

Happy New Year from Oxfam Action Corps NYC!

Oxfam Action Corps ended 2011 with two major victories:
  • Foreign aid levels for FY2012 remained consistent with the previous year instead of being slashed as originally proposed; and
  • The corn ethanol subsidy to oil refiners was eliminated!
Thanks to everyone who signed our petitions and helped us reach these important milestones.

Oxfam Action Corps, Oxfam and its allies won a victory in defending foreign aid from drastic cuts. Oxfam America's President, Ray Offenheiser, stated: "We fought very hard to protect foreign assistance funding that saves lives and reduces poverty. There are cuts in this budget, but we are very grateful that Congressional leaders managed to deflect efforts by some to disproportionately cut these lifesaving accounts."

The United States also ended a 30-year tax subsidy for corn-based ethanol that cost taxpayers $6 billion annually, and ended a tariff on imported Brazilian ethanol. The policies have helped shift millions of tons of corn from feedlots, dinner tables and other products into gas tanks.

We are starting off 2012 with planning for International Women's Day on March 8. That evening, Oxfam Action Corps NYC we will be hosting an event to celebrate women around the world. The event will host speaker on women's justice and an opportunity for attendees to honor a woman in their lives. If you are interested in volunteering or partnering with us for this event, please contact us at newyorkcity@oxfamactioncorps.org.

Oxfam Action Corps is also currently recruiting new volunteers. Build leadership skills and attend a free Oxfam volunteer training! Limited space available. Applications are due by February 14, 2012.


Concerned about poverty and hunger on a global scale, but not sure how to make a difference at the local level? Volunteer with the Oxfam Action Corps and find out how your efforts can change the bigger picture.


Celebrate 2011 with Oxfam Action Corps NYC


Oxfam Action Corps NYC would like to invite you to our end of year potluck dinner party on Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 7pm in Midtown East.

If you are interested in attending, please rsvp at rsvp.tc/fv4t06. If you have any questions, please contact newyorkcity@oxfamactioncorps.org. We hope to see you there!

Oxfamily Dinners


What is an Oxfamily Dinner? An Oxfamily Dinner is Oxfam NYC's version of an Oxfam America Sunday Dinner.

These dinners are small gatherings where members of the. Community come together to discuss food issues, the GROW campaign, and Oxfam America.

Oxfam Action Corps NYC hosted our first Oxfamily Dinner last Thursday in the South Bronx. We enjoyed a number of homemade dishes and good conversation about out food system, current food policy, and where our food comes from.

Over the next couple months the NYC action corps will be hosting these dinners around the city. The next dinner will take place in Washington Heights this Sunday, November 6th. If you are interested in attending, please email us by tomorrow evening. If you are unable to make this Sunday's Oxfamily Dinner, our next one will be on December 10 in Brooklyn.

If you are interested in hosting your own Oxfamily Dinner, please contact us or learn more at www.oxfamamerica.org/worldfoodday. We hope to see you at one of the upcoming dinners!

Hunger in a World of Plenty

by Avi Smolen

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

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

The simple answer is that none of these are the simple causes of hunger today. There is enough food today to feed everyone on the planet, though the wealth inequality means that some people go hungry while others struggle to lose weight (U.S. obesity epidemic). Climate change can lead to insufficient rain or floods of it that kill cro

ps and therefore affect the quantity of food available. Yet thwre are also advanced growing techniques that will allow us to maintain an adequate supply of food, at least for the near future. (Both climate change and wealth inequality are major issues about which we should be concerned.) Infrastructure isn’t the problem either. While in some places poor roads or lack of railroads can hamper the distribution of food, there is no reason that local communities cannot grow food nearby.



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

Photo by Adam Fischmann


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

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

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

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

Join Us for World Food Day on October 16





In honor of World Food Day, American Jewish World Service, Oxfam Action Corps NYC, The Hunger Project's Young Professionals Committee, and Union Theological Seminary are hosting a film screening at 4 pm on Sunday, October 16 in the James Memorial Chapel at Union Theological Seminary (
3041 Broadway at 121st Street).

RSVP is requested at http://worldfooddaynyc.eventbrite.com/. Doors open at 3:30 pm.

The film, "Hunger in a World of Plenty," addresses why, in world that has enough resources to feed 12 billion people, nearly one billion people are chronically hungry. Following what will be the United States premiere of the film, Constituent Liaison/Immigration Caseworker to Senator Kristin Gillibrand Julina Guo will moderate a discussion among Senior Liaison Officer Sharon Brennen-Haylock (Food and Agriculture Organization Liaison Office to the United Nations), Vice President for Africa Programs Dr. Idrissa Dicko (The Hunger Project), Director of Education and Community Engagement Stephanie Ives (American Jewish World Service) and Senior Campaigns Advisor Rohit Malpani (Oxfam America) about topics addressed in the film and ways in which attendees can take action on a local level. After the film and discussion, guests can sample tastings of recipes prepared for Oxfam America on the occasion of World Food Day by noted chefs Giada De Laurentiis, Mark Bittman, José Andrés, and the Mennonite Central Committee.

Volunteers interested in helping to prepare some of the tasting dishes are encouraged to contact Arielle Cahill Hassid at newyorkcity@oxfamactioncorps.org.

This event is cosponsored by Bread for the World, the Brooklyn Food Coalition, Buddhist Global Relief, CHEFs for Schools, Inc., NYU Chapter, Concern Worldwide, DIG (Development in Gardening), FeelGood Columbia University, Helen Keller International, the Hunger and Environmental Nutrition Special Interest Group of the Greater New York Dietetic Association, the International Youth Council, NYPIRG,
Small Planet Institute, United Methodist Committee on Relief, and WhyHunger.

Moving the Planet and NYC Day Retreat

Last weekend was a busy one for the Oxfam Action Corps NYC.

On Saturday we attended Moving Planet NYC with more than 2,000 other New Yorkers. Moving Planet clean-energy demonstrations took place around the world, organized by 350.org. The NYC rally took place at Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza during the UN general assembly. Speakers included Vice President Mohammed Waheed Hassan of the Maldives, a Pacific island nation at risk of becoming uninhabitable due to the costal erosion and sea level, Nasa climate scientist Dr. James Hansen, Laura Flanders of GritTV, and a group of indigenous leaders talking on how climate change is affecting them.


View more our photos from the event on our Picasa Album.

On Sunday, Oxfam Action Corps NYC volunteers gathered at the Mertz Gilmore Foundation for our first NYC day retreat. The day-long event included a delicious potluck, Oxfam trivia, a Skype visit from Oxfam America's Brian Rawson who spoke about the GROW campaign, information on tabling at concerts and other events, and more. We had a great time getting to know each other, and there may be a new *NSync video coming soon - with an Action Corps twist!


Check out our Picasa Album for more pictures from the day.

Next Wednesday (Oct. 5), volunteers will be at the North Central Bronx Farmer's Market. Please email us if you are interested in joining us.

Also, be sure to mark your calendars for World Food Day - October 16. Oxfam Action Corps NYC will be partnering with a number of organizations for a screening of Hunger in a Time of Plenty and a panel of experts. More information is coming soon. If you are interested in getting involved, please email us at newyorkcity@oxfamactioncorps.org.

Also, be sure to join us for our next volunteer meeting. The meeting will take place on Monday, October 10th at 7pm in the David Rubenstein Atrium. Everyone is welcome!

Call in Day of Action to Save Foreign Aid is TODAY!

Today, September 26 is a call in day of action to save foreign aid!

Please take a minute out of your day today to call your representatives and let them know that life-saving funding is on the line.

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:

  1. 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 Representative – the operator will connect you.
  2. Tell the staffer: “I’m calling to oppose cuts to poverty-focused foreign aid in FY12 and beyond. Do not cut the deficit on the backs of the world’s poor. Many lives depend on these programs that give the world’s poorest people the tools they need to help lift themselves out of hunger and poverty. With high food prices and extreme weather events threatening millions around the world, now is not the time to cut life-saving assistance – which makes up less than 1% of the US budget. These strategic investments help make a safer world today and avert costlier interventions and humanitarian emergencies tomorrow.”
  3. When you’re done, you can call your Senators through the switchboard and ask for their support as well.
  4. Once you've ended your call, email us at newyorkcity@oxfamactioncorps.org to let us know how it went!
Thank you for your help!

Moving Planet Rally NYC - September 24


Save the date - Oxfam Action Corps NYC is cosponsoring the September 24 Moving Planet Rally in NYC with NYPIRG.

On September 24, New Yorkers will gather near the United Nations (at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, 47th Street between First and Second Avenues) for Moving Planet NYC! Moving Planet is an international day of action to draw attention to the climate crisis and push for solutions that move us beyond our reliance on fossil fuels.

Inspired by the democracy movements in Egypt and elsewhere this year, we’re reminded that people power is stronger than the fossil fuel industry’s influence. We can and must spur action on the climate crisis that has felt stalled since the UN Climate meetings in Copenhagen, 2009. The gathering of world leaders at the United Nations in late September offers the perfect opportunity for us to rally and call on our world leaders for a renewed focus on tackling the climate crisis.

Climate change poses a grave threat to food production. First, it will apply a further brake on yield growth. Second, it will increase the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, such as heat waves, droughts, and floods, which can wipe out harvests at a stroke. For people without the income, savings, access to healthcare, or social insurance enjoyed in industrialized countries, shocks from climatic disasters or shifting seasons often force them to go without food, sell off assets critical to their livelihoods, or take their children out of school. Short-term coping strategies can have long-term consequences, causing a downward spiral of deeper poverty and greater vulnerability.

Despite the scale and urgency of the challenge, governments have failed to take adequate action to reduce emissions, collectively or individually. Instead they have listened to their industrial lobbies—the small number of companies that stand to lose from a transition towards a sustainable future from which the rest of us would gain.

Moving Planet NYC is a flagship event of a series of coordinated events happening around the world. Working with a broad global coalition fighting climate change, over 100 countries will host Moving Planet events on September 24.

The event — organized by NYPIRG, 350.org, and our coalition partners — will feature prominent national and international speakers and a live music performance. It will be a truly momentous event in the climate movement that will be talked about for years to come. Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of a historic global day of action!

Be sure to register for the event on the NYPIRG website.

Food Price Volatility and the Food Crisis in East Africa

In the last year, international food prices have reached record peaks. In many countries, high food prices have contributed to unrest, instability, violence and increasing inequality and poverty. While volatile food prices impact everyone, the impacts vary across the globe with the poorest and most vulnerable people often getting the shortest end of the stick.

To shed more light on the impacts of food price spikes, Oxfam has created an interactive map of Food Price Volatility Pressure Points. This map shows the impacts of price spikes in some of the countries where food prices have complicated the lives of poor people and offers a chance to take action on to help address price volatility.

The map shows are areas that are highly vulnerable to price spikes, countries that have had extreme weather events contribute to global price hikes and places that have seen price spikes contribute to violence or unrest that has shaken the foundation of global stability. While this map alone does not tell the full story of how price spikes have impacted our world, it offers a global snapshot to give us a better understanding of what is happening in communities near and far.


A current example of this unrest is the Food Crisis in East Africa . Severe drought has struck East Africa and Oxfam has launched a major response in hard-hit areas of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia aimed at helping those at greatest risk meet their most critical needs. Food and clean water are at the heart of Oxfam's programs, but with the help of local partner organizations the work is being shaped to fit local needs and opportunities.
Right now, as Oxfam America is addressing urgent needs in East Africa, Facebook is, and will continue to be, the place to go for updates.

That’s why we are asking you to "like" Oxfam America on Facebook.

We have a goal to earn 50,000 “likes,” and are starting in New York. Will you join in?<



In New York City, the Oxfam Action Corps has been busy with lobby visits. Last Tuesday volunteers from the Oxfam Action Corps and American Jewish World Services (AJWS) had the opportunity to meet directly with Representative Crowley. Rep. Crowley is on the Ways and Means Committee and the Foreign Affairs committee and was enthusiastic to have our support on HR 2307 (the ethanol subsidy repeal act). Crowley asked that we keep in close touch with him, and that it is important to keep working on getting cosponsors for the act. If you are interested in meeting with your representative, please contact us and we can help arrange a visit.

Action Corps NYC volunteers also had the opportunity to attend and speak at the International Youth Council event on the Millennium Development Goals at the UN. Arielle Cahill Hassid presented on the GROW campaign and Winnifred Lee talked about CHANGE, Oxfam Action Corps, and Oxfam Campus Clubs. The NYC Action Corps also volunteered at the Central Park Summer Stage for the Jack's Mannequin and Guster show. We received over 100 signatures in support of the GROW campaign.

The next one is a busy month for the NYC volunteers. Please be sure to keep the following dates in mind and check out our Google Calendar for any updates:

Sept 7: Up in Smoke screening at Lincoln Center (interested in volunteering? Please contact us!)
Sept 8: TV on the Radio/Broken Social Scene Concert (Williamsburg Waterfront)
Sept 10: Buddhist Global Relief Walk - visit our Facebook Event Page for more information
Sept 14: Volunteer Meeting at the David Rubenstein Atrium
Sept 24: 350.org day of action, Moving Planet NYC - more details coming soon!>
Sept 25: Oxfam Action Corps Day Retreat, if you are interested in attending, please fill out our brief survey: http://bit.ly/onowXp
Sept 28 and Oct. 12: Volunteer Meeting at the David Rebenstein Atrium
Oct 16: World Food Day event - details coming soon!

Enjoy your summer and check back for more updates!


Resources - Oxfam Action Corps NYC

During our retreat in Vermont, Oxfam Action Corps Volunteers started to put together a list of resources. The following is the list that came out of our retreat.

Films
  • Fronline documentary on Derivatives
  • Fresh
  • Farmageddon
  • PlanEat
  • Food, Inc.
  • Climate Refugees
  • King Corn
[Food and water films for though and action] list by Melinda Hemmelgam
  • City of God
  • Tapped
  • Bananas
  • Dark side of chocolate
  • Living Downstream
  • Reach Us
Books
  • Diet for a Hot Planet
  • Replenishing the Earth
  • Hopes Edge
Websites
Please feel free to use the comment section of this post to add more resources that you have come across that would be of interest to Oxfam's mission, the GROW campaign, or other issues in international and domestic affairs.

Hopefully we will be able to keep this list updated on an ongoing basis.

Thanks for your input!