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Cover Photo: Livelihood Programming – Seaweed Farmers, Philippines; Tessa Bunney/Oxfam Seaweed farmers prepare to plant lines of seaweed, four months after the typhoon in Tamiao, Bantayan. Farmers in Tamiao took part in Oxfam's Cash for Asset Recovery scheme (Cash for Work) and were able to start replanting their seaweed. Oxfam will be supplying seaweed farming equipment to help increase yields and protect against wave damage. Inside Photo: Climate Change Adaptation Programming – Rice Farmers, Philippines; Tessa Bunney/Oxfam Oxfam has set up a number of Climate Resiliency Field Schools where farmers who have been identified as leaders in their comm unity are asked to attend seminars, learning about climate change, new farming practices, technologies and crop diversification. Each group of students attends six sessions over a three month period where they cultivate new crops and make and use their own organic fertilizer on a communal field. This gives far mers the opportunity to try new crops and new farming techniques without taking on a financial risk.
Women are leaders of change in developing countries: they produce most of the food, make up a third of the labour force and care for families. We know that investing in women means investing in communities. #RememberHerRights celebrates women’s rights advocates from around the world. While gender continues to be a primary determinant of poverty, significant shifts have been made around the world to advance women’s rights and increase gender equality. Here’s how you can help:
1. Think of a triumph in women’s rights you want to celebrate and remember – it can be big or small. Try completing the sentence “One step for women’s rights was…” to help you think of something. 2. Get a small piece of string and tie it around your finger. Putting a piece of string on your finger is a strategy to help you remember something. Every time you look at it, you remember why you’ve tied it. 3. Take a photo of yourself with the string on your finger. 4. Share the triumph you want to celebrate on Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #RememberHerRights and the photo of yourself. 5. Search #RememberHerRights online to see how other people are celebrating.
Photo: Oxfam Staff participating in 2014 #RememberHerRights campaign; Melanie Gallant/Oxfam
Oxfam has been working in Cuba since 1993, in partnership with local organizations and in support of equitable and sustainable socio-economic development. Oxfam’s partnerships in Cuba support a variety of innovative contributions to urban agriculture, community economic development, violence against women, disaster risk reduction and humanitarian response. One such program is in Jesus Menendez, a municipality in Eastern Cuba. Through Oxfam’s work with the national association of small agricultural producers, land that was once used to grow sugar cane for export was converted into arable land and made available to local farmers. This was a fundamental transformation that allowed producers to profit from the land while providing fresh, locally produced food to residents. Oxfam and partners promoted the adoption of new agricultural methods, including organic pest management and local seed production, and supported women to join in food production. Teresa Fuentes (pictured right) has been selling fruits like papaya, bananas and mangos on behalf of a local farmer’s cooperative for two years. She said of her work with the cooperative: “I am really appreciative to have this job. I can be more secure and independent, and I love coming to the fruit stand every day and seeing my clients". Oxfam’s programming with ANAP has played a critical role in shifting culture among Cuban cooperative members. We now see an organization where women are increasingly recognized, valued and respected as equal participants and contributors to cooperative activities and development.
Oxfam works as a learning organization with our partners. This includes support for south-south Thefunding national to association of small agriculturaland producers exchange visits and international training, and aid in the development dissemination of (ANAP) provides training, agricultural extension and research and lessons learned efforts. support services to its members. The association negotiates with the Cuban government on prices for crops, credits and other farmers’ interests on behalf of the network of cooperatives.
Photo: Teresa Fuentes; Melanie Gallant/Oxfam
In March, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published new evidence showing that the impact of climate change on global hunger will hit harder and sooner than previously thought. Oxfam analysed how well the world’s food system is prepared for the impacts of climate change. Take a look:
Oxfam is calling on governments and business across the globe to take action to stop climate change making people hungry. Read the full report outlining solutions. Tell companies to take action on climate change through Oxfam’s Behind the Brands campaign
Build your skills Learn how to make change in your community and around the world. Brush up on key campaigning skills such as media messaging, social media strategies and popular mobilization. Oxfam’s new campaigners’ crash course is offered twice a year and brings together small groups for fun and interactive skills training. Register for a course today! The next course takes places in Toronto on May 3 rd, 2014 Connect to your community Oxfam community groups meet regularly to organize local opportunities to raise funds and awareness about Oxfam’s programs and campaigns. Join a community group this spring and help build a movement for change in your city or town. Meeting times are listed online. Join a powerful community for change Oxfam Canada has a diverse community of members who actively support Oxfam's vision and mission. As a member of Oxfam you will learn more about international issues, share innovations and evidence in support of change, take action to end poverty and use your voice to help determine Oxfam’s direction. If you are not a member, join today. Meet your Member of Parliament Connect to your locally elected representative to tell them that you care about international development and issues of poverty. Use Oxfam’s Meet with your MP Guide to get in touch with your MP over the summer.
Photo: Oxfam campaigners partner with Canadians for Tax Fairness to speak out about global tax havens in advance of the 2013 G8 Summit - Ottawa
Volunteers play a critical role in helping to advance Oxfam’s work across the country. From coast to coast – there are individuals working as movers and shakers in their communities. We want to say THANK YOU for all the passion, effort and skills that are contributed to Oxfam’s work each day across the country. You’re an integral part of the people powered movement to end poverty. In celebration of National Volunteer Week – here is an ode to Oxfam volunteers:
Read the report
Launched by Global Poverty Project, a campaign and advocacy organization whose aim is to increase the number and effectiveness of people taking action against extreme poverty, Live Below the Line is an initiative to end extreme poverty. Make Poverty History – an Oxfam supported campaign – has partnered with the Global Poverty Project to support Live Below the Line in Canada. From April 28 th to May 2nd, people across the country will live for 5 days on $1.75 a day to raise awareness of the 1.2 billion people living in extreme poverty each day.
In Mexico City this week, donors, developing countries, civil society and international organisations are meeting to review global progress in effective development co-operation. This coming together is the first High-Level Meeting of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation. This is however, by no means the first time the global community has met to discuss aid and development cooperation. Busan, Istanbul, Accra and Paris all provided spaces for civil society and donors to come together and share ideas, challenges and frustrations on what was and was not working for the poor in development. The question this week about the Mexico meetings is – could it be a milestone? Oxfam Policy Advisor Nicola McIvor reflects on the potential of the Mexico meetings to create dramatic shifts in global cooperation. Oxfam Canada’s Executive Director, Robert Fox, is in Mexico this week as part of Oxfam’s delegation. You can follow his commentary online at @FoxOxfam If you want to become more aid and development saavy – here’s the first three steps to understanding the dialogue on global development cooperation:
Understand the role of the
Learn more about
See how the Istanbul principles are being implemented
Source: SouthSouth.org