Multimedia on La Oroya and JH Peru

After the November elections CNN's Planet in Peril series will focus in on Peru and report on the pollution concerns in La Oroya.

Watch CNN's preview

During 2006-2007, Kori Phillips served in Peru as a Young Adult Volunteer (YAV). Kori describes her encounters with marginalized Peruvians in a 6-minute video the PCUSA Mission Service Recruitment Office made about its Young Volunteer Program.

Watch the YAV video

A New Bible Study on Fair Trade

By Alexa Smith, Joining Hands Associate for Presbytery support

If you’re feeling guilty about a global economy that preys on the poor so that those who already have too much can have even more, then you may want to take a look at this Bible study.

NEW!! A Bible Study on Fair Trade Fair Trade: Using Our Purchasing Power for Justice and Hope is a six-part series that explores the Biblical mandate for fair wages and just treatment of the poorest. It argues that affluent North Americans can do more than feel guilty about our entanglement in a global economy that does the opposite: We can be selective about how and where we shop.

The study is co-authored by Ruth Farrell, who was assigned to Peru by the Joining Hands Initiative to help develop a fair trade corridor between remote communities in the Andes and a marketing/education network in St. Louis, MO, nestled within Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery, called Partners for Just Trade (PJT).

Ruth's writing partner is the Rev. Judy Hoffhine of Columbus, OH. Judy visited Peru four times through the Joining Hands partnership between Giddings-Lovejoy and the network partners of Peru, and was converted to fair trade after witnessing the impact of the skewed global marketplace on the families of poor artisans who are unable to compete.

PJT markets the goods of more than 200 artisans who work in cooperatives; this year, it intends to add artisans and farmers from at least two other countries to its portfolio. Last year, with Peruvian partners alone, PJT had more than $125,000 in sales. It is affiliated with the Fair Trade Federation and Co-op America’s Green Business Network, a collective of organizations that screen members to verify they are committed to fair trade and to green business practices.

Knitters, sewers, weavers, jewelry-makers are all telling the same story in Peru. Big companies prey on their poverty, commissioning childrens’ toys, clothing or Christmas stockings – and pay a pittance for the work. If anyone complains, there are literally thousands of others so desperate for cash they’d take the job.

With PJT – and other fair trade operations -- the cooperatives are running their own businesses, designing their own products, setting their own prices – and creating quality products that are useable daily, not just as specialized gifts. Diaper bags. Kitchen aids. Knitted winter hats and scarves. Backpacks. Baby toys.

The study is available at the 218th General Assembly in San Jose for browsing or buying at the PJT display in the Exhibit Hall. It may be also downloaded from the PJT website. The cost is $5 per copy but a discount is offered for multiple copies. Orders may also be placed by calling 314-773-7358.

Spirituality and Mission Project

Espiritualidad y Misión

Leen la version original de este articulo en español

by Nelson Figueroa, UMP network member and journalist of Dia del Pueblo

In 2007, Joining Hands Peru completed the Spirituality and Mission Project thanks to Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Texas, which sponsored the event. Conceived as an initiative to develop a space of shared spirituality to bring to life the work in our Peruvian network, the project draws from a need to awaken interest and commitment of leaders of social, ecclesial, and government organisms about the motivations that unite our ecumenical encounters. The project also highlights our responsibility to respond to the challenge defending life, and keeping it in harmony with the universe and its Creator.

“Sojourns of Reflection” gatherings

So-called “Sojourns of Reflection” gatherings were scheduled in six different cities in Peru where our associate institutions work in projects related to the care for God’s creation. These regions presented on topics that drew from the local cases of environmental degradation. They also asked the local communities to form concrete commitments to slow the trends of contamination. Furthermore, the project allowed ten young representatives from associate institutions of Joining Hands Peru to present on Peru’s environmental problems in an international conference with Joining Hands Bolivia in the city of Potosí, Bolivia. Potosi is a historical site of mining degradation in Latin America.

An Evaluation of Results

Participants in Spirituality and Mission Project recognized appropriate ways to start this work and to awaken the responsibility of citizens in churches.

We had great success in this first year of reflection and awareness building to propose better actions and practices related to the environment:

• 93% of associate organizations participated directly or indirectly in the “Sojourns of Reflection"”
• Local leaders and new individuals are getting involved in environmental concerns
• Local authorities have decided to work with the Church and defend the environment.
• People from different denominations had the opportunity to meet , to learn from each other in practical ways about living in communion, and to appreciate our diversity.
• Christians and non-believers engaged in an open dialog about how to make new agreements and to expand personal depth, solidarity, and community commitment, while exercising tolerance in spite of hegemonic discourses in government and religious politics.
• A new conscience was generated on our responsibility as believers to be instruments of peace, and to avoid conflict, environmental and human degradation, and the exploitation of the people and the environment.
• Partcipants identified the need to face the big challenges that make up the modern world and the economic currents that are so strong.
• Various communities made direct commitments that showed their willingness to change habits, on a personal and institution level, to live in harmony with and care for our environment:

The associate organizations of Joining Hands Peru (organizers of the events) were strengthened in leadership, autonomy and their capacity of building leaders and organizations in their area. As a result of this experience a booklet has been produced that summarizes the experiences of the Sojourns of Reflection.

Conclusions
Each of the participant organizations came up with conclusions that are relevant to their own region. The Sojourns of Reflection generated commitment from associate organizations and helped other alliances of solidarity to be formed that strengthen the overall action of our networks. The project also allowed the accompaniment team to recognize the dynamics of action and social links between our networks, contributing to the integration of the associates of the Joining Hands Peru. It motivated and committed the participants in social actions directly related to the environment, human rights and economic development from a responsible point of view. A monumental campaign about the harmful effects of contamination and the lack of natural resources has taken off. It has also shown the importance of longterm day-to-day transparency, and the need to get our actions out through the media. A number of proposals were developed on the need to educate the general public about the care for the environment, about ethical values, and transparency through which the current situation of Peru is looked at. Suggestions were made to strengthen the values against contamination

Recommendations
As people of faith, we are committed to deepening our identity, looking at Christ as the model, giving testimony to our faith in life and rediscovering the role that we are responsible for in this time of environmental crisis. A number of general recommendations can serve to help guide our work in future. This project should be repeated with practical actions that permit organizations to give public demonstrations of their initiative to care for the environment. It is also necessary to focus for an action based on the formula: Think. Act. Solve. Looking at the problem and giving continuity to the motivation that the local organizations have had. Let’s think, act, and solve together so that the future will be written by all of us. The work of emerging organizations can be strengthened in different ways. This would open up a new space for dialog with them.

It is important to reaffirm, and be contagious with our experiences. We then need to be mutually respectful of each other, and show solidarity based on human dignity, and on our rights and responsibilities.