Food Sovereignty

Since the outbreak of famine in much of the Saharan regions of West Africa in 2005, Food Sovereignty has featured among the programs of the Cameroonian network for the Fight Against Hunger (RELUFA). Through community-run grain banks subsistence farmers of 18 villages in the arid Far North Province of Cameroon are combating the usury practices of speculators, which exacerbate the already high poverty levels mong the population and cause many to go hungry. Throughout this year (2006) training sessions were held to teach the farmers how to run a village granary. They were each provided with 60 bags of sorghum as a start up "capital" for their grain bank. These supplies served at the same time as the community's food stocks for the lean months of August and September. Households that ran out of food could turn to their village grain bank and buy food against a reduced group price or take it on credit. This loan was then to be paid back in kind from their next harvest.

Prolonged rains have delayed the new harvest season, but in November the farmers were finally able to start bringing in their crops. Members who took food on credit are currently in the process of reimbursing their loan with the first fruit of their harvest. Others sell some of their yields to their grain bank and replenish hereby its stock for next year's lean months.

RELUFA has applied anew for a grant from the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA), the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) and the Presbyterian Hunger Program (PHP) to continue and expand this program. For its longer term continuation the JH teams in the Presbyteries of Chicago and the Twin Cities Area have been asked to try and get farming communities in their Presbyteries involved in the Foods Resource Bank (FRB). Through PDA's membership of the FRB, these farmers would then be able to provide direct support for RELUFA's Food Sovereignty Program.

Watch the two-minutes video clip below on restocking activities in the village of Boudoum. Please, wait till the clip starts playing by itself.

Credit Against Poverty

The micro-finance Task Force met on 17 November to look at the status of legalization procedures started for RELUFA's Credit Against Poverty program (CAP), last June. CAP is the result from nearly three years of study and discussions by the Task Force members to come to a micro-finance program that provides low interest loans to grassroots groups affiliated with network member organizations, as seed money for their projects.

The newly appointed CAP Program Director has on a nearly daily basis been following up with the Ministry of Finance on the progress of CAP's file. Recently, the Ministry's staff instructed him that another External Controller needed to be identified and his credentials submitted to complete CAP's file with the Ministry. Having done so, and with all requirements now met, the Task Force decided that CAP should start to be operative in January 2007 with the modest loan funds available through contributions from the 11 participating member organizations. This decision was affirmed by the network board, which met the next day. As Cameroonian law allows for programs to start 6 months after initiating legalization procedures, RELUFA will hereby remain within the provisions of the law.

During the meeting, Jeff Boyd held a workshop on the PCUSA's Self Development of People (SDOP) Program. This was a requirement for CAP to receive an additional loan fund from SDOP.

Economic Justice in the Extractive Industries

Advocacy for Pipeline victims

The Cameroon Oil Transportation Company (COTCO), the monitoring committee of the Cameroonian government (CPSP) and four organizations from Civil Society have gone public about the dialogue they've been engaged in since May 2005. A pretentious meeting on 2-3 November formalized their platform for negotiation, discussion and exchange of information in the aftermath of the construction of the Chad Cameroon Oil and Pipeline Project. The RELUFA delegation, however, dissatisfied by its blatant and systematic exclusion from the public discussion and frustrated by the naivety of other representatives from Cameroon's Civil Society, walked out before the meeting ended. The network will continue its advocacy for the population at the negotiation table with COTCO and the CPSP but with a firmer stance to prevent the platform from becoming a facade for the stakeholders.

Cyber action for Publish What You Pay Activists

Since april 2006, Brice Mackosso et Christian Mounzeo, coordinators of the congolese branch of the worldwide «Publish What You Pay» (PWYP) campaign have been prosecuted by the courts of Pointe-Noire for allegations without any proof of evidence.

Initiated in June 2002 and currently supported by more than 300 non-profit organizations, the PWYP campaign seeks from extractive companies (oil, gas and minerals) the systematic and transparent publication of all payments made as taxes,  royalties or any kind of fees to the governments of their host countries.

RELUFA spearheaded the launch of the Cameroonian PWYP branch in December 2005 and lodges its office. Broad support for this campaign will help protect the safety of the activists of our JH partner network RELUFA. Undertake therefore action following these steps:

1. Open this link: letter to the Congolese President.

2. Copy the text of the document.

3. Click cyber action to start a posted e-mail message.

4. Paste the text, and add your first name, name, address and town.

5. Type in the subject line: relaxe de Brice et Christian.

6. Send the message.

Thank you!

Companionship

The JH teams of the Presbyteries of Chicago and of the Twin Cities Area (PTCA) are gearing up for a joint visit to Cameroon. While Eleazar Fernandez from the PTCA will leave on 13 January to be for three weeks a guest lecturer at the Protestant Theological Faculty of Yaounde, Chicago's travelers will stay from 15-28 January 2007 and itinerate in various parts of the country.