NEWSLETTER
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| In this issue |
Bolivia - No update available |
Cameroon - A documentary with stories from Cameroonian and Chadian communities - Another Day in the Life of the Chad-Cameroon Oil Pipeline - Peacemaking committee member from The Twin Cities Area represents PCUSA at international PWYP conference in Montreal - An update on the Fair fruit project - PJT Symbolic Gift opportunities in support of Fair Fruit producers |
Egypt - Des Moines Fair Trade Partnerships and Global Education Campaign - Together For Family Development Network Update in a Glance |
India - Chethana Flood Emergency Responses - Political re-reading for Disaster Preparedness - A Miracle of Mutuality: Rani's story and Chethana's Alternative Livelihood Initiatives |
Lesotho - WKKM on 2009 World Aids Day - The Southern African Rural Women's Assembly - Greater Power in Collaboration - The Reality of Joining Hands |
Palestine - No update available |
Peru - Kids for La Oroya: a visit and video-conference with elementary studens from Brooklyn - Former St. Louis residents win Environmental Stewardship Award - A Thousand Fibers: PJT video on Fair Trade and its producers - Fair Trade Networking: Get the word out! - Volunteers help develop multi-media productions - Upcoming Giddings Lovejoy Presbytery visit with Peruvian partners |
South Africa - Local South African Community's Dilemma with mining company: why do they want to move us? - SMI network: These stories must be heard - The Southern African Rural Women's Assembly - SMI participates in the Provincial Land Summit |
Sri-Lanka - A community's succes story in the Human-Elephant Conflict - Ongoing Land Issues Signature Campaign - Training of Trainers Workshops in preparation of Praja Abhilasha's Land Issues campaign |
Greetings!
by Sarah Pray,
Outgoing Publish What You Pay-US Coordinator
Dear friends,
The end of the year is naturally one of reflection. This is especially true for me this year as I have just recently left my position as Publish What You Pay (PWYP) United States coordinator. As I look back on 2009 and my time at PWYP, one of the things I am so grateful for is the invaluable contribution the Presbyterian Church USA, and the Hunger program and Joining Hands in particular, have made to the PWYP campaign. I cannot emphasize enough what an impact your involvement has had on the success of the campaign.
PWYP deals with a very specific (and frankly, at times, confusing) aspect of the broader fight against poverty and corruption. PWYP believes that through the transparency of revenue flows between oil, gas and mining companies and governments, citizens can be empowered to demand accountability. This will help end the cycle of mismanagement and corruption that is too often associated with the billions of dollars generated by the extractive industries. Putting a human face on this overwhelmingly complex issue is key to PWYP’s success and PC-USA has helped us do that, both through partnerships with churches abroad, and also through folks at home here in the US that have been galvanized by this issue.
Sarah Pray (r) at a Joining Hands meeting in Chicago Presbytery with Valéry Nodem (RELUFA-Cameroon), Alexa Smith (PCUSA/JH staff), Carlene Hyrams (Chicago Presbytery), representatives from five covenanting JH congregations in Chicago and Christi Boyd (PCUSA/JH Companionship Facilitator, behind the camera). |
I had the opportunity over the past few years to travel to several presbyteries around the country and to attend PC-USA events in California, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Kentucky. Every time, I would be humbled by the commitment and dedication to the issues of empowering communities worldwide, ending poverty and hunger, and fighting for social justice. This has translated concretely into support for Publish What You Pay – folks have sent letters, made calls, and told friends about PWYP and the legislation we are fighting to get passed.
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The legislation – called the the Energy Security Through Transparency (ESTT) Act S.1700 in the Senate and the Extractive Industries Transparency Disclosure Act in the House – would be a game-changer for the fight to end the natural resource curse, as it would require every company registered in the United States (which includes both American and many foreign companies) to publish their natural resource revenue payments to governments around the globe. This would put an unprecedented amount of information in the hands of citizens who can start fighting that thesebillions of dollars go to development and poverty alleviation.
Even though the partnership between PWYP and PCUSA has been such a success to date, we’re not done yet. 2010 will be a critical year for Publish What You Pay, as the transparency legislation will likely be voted upon and we need voices like yours telling politicians that constituents care about this issue and this legislation. Getting grassroots support for the legislation will make the difference between a bill that is just a good idea and one that actually becomes a law.
Please stay active and involved – organize letter-writing campaigns at your church; send a letter tothe editor of the local paper talking about the bill, and tell your friends! 
For more information, visit www.openthebooks.org.
Thank you again for the fellowship you’ve shown me and PWYP over the past years. I have truly loved working with PC-USA, the Hunger Program and Joining Hands. The support you’ve given has been a gift. Blessings to you all.
*****
Merry Christmas!
*****
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Sarah Pray Publish What You Pay (PWYP) -US Outgoing National Campaign Coordinator |
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