House, Senate Make Way - Seeds Publishers

Volume 8 Number 4 Spring 2007

...a Seeds of Hope publication

House, Senate Make Wayfor First Minimum Wage

Increase in 10 Yearsby Joseph P. Woodard

WASHINGTON, DC—After years of waiting on the part of US workers and anti-poverty activists,US lawmakers finally made progress on minimum wage legislation in January and early Februaryof this year. A bill was quickly drafted and put into matriculation in both houses of Congress forthe beginning weeks of the first legislative session of the 110th Congress.

The move came as part of the promise from the Democratic members of Congress for their“first 100 hours” in power. These legislators had sworn that raising the minimum wage was oneof their first priorities. The promise came soon after elections of last November brought a shiftin political power for both the Senate and House of Representatives, where Democratic majoritieswere formed.

Rep. George Miller, Democrat from California’s 7th District, wrote and sponsored the bill,which was co-signed and affirmed by 222 others. HR 2, or the “Fair Minimum Wage Act of2007,” passed in the House with little deliberation. The bill commanded an increase in the federalminimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 in phases over two years.

“Today is a remarkable day,” said Miller as he spoke to the House of Representatives onbehalf of the bill. “Because after ten years, we’re going to have an up or down vote on whetherthe poorest people in our nation, who are working every day, and at the end of the year end uppoor, deserve a raise.”

In fact, the federal minimum wage has not been updated in over a decade, leaving today’swages woefully outdated in comparison to changes in the cost of living. The relatively short timeHR 2 spent in House debate seems to indicate that most legislators are ready to join the 28 statesthat have already raised their minimum wages, largely due to years of neglect in Congress on theissue.

The bill (S 2) met with less optimism in the Senate . Senate Republicans proposed adding anamendment to include tax relief for small businesses—the entities that would bear the highest costand are most sensitive to wage increases. Weeks of debate culminated in tax cuts of $8.3 billionto help offset the costs of higher labor. As House-Senate negotiations continued, that number waslowered to $2 billion.

continued on page 2

In ThisIssue:

Hunger Heroes:The Story of Haiti’s

Jackson Nelsonpage 3

Special PulloutSection:

The 2007 USFarm Billpages 5-8

Resources:A New Study Guide

on MillenniumDevelopment Goals

page 4Curriculum for Blood

Diamond Movie,Tony Hall’s New

Bookpage 9

Hunger NewsZimbabwe, ChaquitaBrands in Colombia,

Invisible ChildrenProject, ‘Canstruction’

contestpages 10-11

Quotes, Poems,& Pithy Sayings

page 12

Hunger News & Hope 2 Spring 2007

The key to getting the bill passed andimplemented will be a willingness onboth sides to compromise. Republicanstypically cite the effects on “mom andpop” businesses when arguing againstincreases in government costs.

The biggest challenge for proponentsof a minimum wage increase is in allaying

price indexes in establishing an averagenational poverty level. The guideline for2007 lists $10,201, $17,170 and $24,130as the poverty line for families numberingone, three, and five persons respectively.

With the proposed timetable ofincreases taking effect incrementally overtime, the new wage of $7.25 will not be

available until 2009 at theearliest. The struggle to keepwages up-to-date withinflation will continue. Thepurchasing power ofminimum wage earners—while improved – willexperience a less dramaticchange than some might hope.

Neither are minimum wage increasesknown for being the most articulate ofeconomic fixes. Wage increases boostnot only the income of those in distress,but also many workers who have anauxiliary means of wealth—parental orspousal support, forexample. Others, whoalready make above theminimum, still have tograpple to make ends meet.Some 8.3 million could behelped by a minimum wageincrease.

Aaron Albright, PressSecretary of the HouseCommittee on Educationand Labor explained thatwages are just a part of thepuzzle:

Increasing the mini-mum wage is just onepiece of helping eradi-cate poverty. We alsohave to make healthinsurance affordableand accessible, ensurethat every child can goto a good public school,and increase the PellGrand scholarship so

A worker earning the proposed newwage of $7.25 per hour, for forty hours

each week, and before any kind oftaxes or deductions, will see a yearly

income of $15,080, just above the listedpoverty line for a family of two.

Minimum Wagecontinued from page 1

that low-income students can goto college, ensure that low-incomeworkers have paid time off andgood child care so that they canbalance work and family demands.

Despite its imperfections, this recentlegislation has brought economic justiceissues to the forefront, and will benefitthose who have too-long earned salariesburdensome to their economic well being.—Joseph Woodard, a native of Dallas, isa Professional Writing student at BaylorUniversity in Waco, Texas, and a Seedsof Hope intern. Sources: US Departmentof Health and Human Services, WhiteHouse Office of the Press Secretary, theCable-Satellite Public Affairs Network,and The New York Times.Editor’s Note: At press time, the minimumwage legislation has taken a back seat toother pressing issues before Congress,and is still in negotiation between houses.

fears of negative market response—acomplex issue made difficult by a lack ofreliable independent data on the topic.

Nevertheless, President George W.Bush expressed satisfaction over theamended bill.

“By working in a bipartisan way tomatch a minimum wage increase with taxrelief for small businesses,” Bush statedon February 1, “the Senate has taken astep toward helping maintain a strongand dynamic labor market and promotingcontinued economic growth.”

The President is expected to sign aminimum wage bill, as long as someprovision is made for tax relief amongsmall business owners.

Still, minimum wage increasesremain an imperfect solution to the needsof the poorest Americans, some of whomdo not even have a wage to be regulated.For people working at minimum wage,the situation is marginally better.

A worker earning the proposed newwage of $7.25 per hour, for forty hourseach week, and before any kind of taxesor deductions, will see a yearly income of$15,080, just above the listed povertyline for a family of two.

The US Department of Health andHuman Services considers consumer

cartoon by Norma Young

Hunger News & Hope 3Spring 2007

hunger heroes

Editor’s Note: Neil Rowe-Miller is theexecutive director of World Hunger Relief,Inc., whose headquarters and trainingfacility are located near Waco, Texas.Prior to working for WHRI, Neil hasworked for more than a decade inagricultural development in Uganda and

Haiti, and also in the US. He recentlyreturned to Haiti to visit WHRI’s sisterorganization, World Hunger Relief-Haiti,based in the mountain village of Ferrier.This is what he found.

Returning to Haiti,after a 16-yearabsence, was both a joyful and a

sobering experience. Many things remainunchanged. The struggle to survive isconstant and oppressive. Still, throughoutmy stay, I witnessed evidence that survivalin Haiti can be more than dog-eat-dog—largley from the example of JacksonNelson, who has given of himselfgenerously to the community of Ferrierfor 30 years.

When he first came to the WorldHunger Relief, Inc. (WHRI) trainingcenter near Waco, Texas in the early1980s, Nelson had already demonstratedhis will to serve the Ferrier community bysupporting seven local orphans. Beginningwith a make-shift building, he often sharedfood from his own table. Ultimately theorphanage grew, and is now managed byHope for the Hungry from Belton, Texas.

Against All OddsThe Story of Jackson Nelson

by Neil Rowe Miller

Because of this Christian concernand his other skills, Nelson was soonasked to head up WHRI well drilling inthe region. By 1986, he had dug over 50wells, and before long he was asked tohelp with projects in other parts of thecountry. Many of these wells continue to

supply rural communities withhealthy water today.

They stand as one of themost enduring contributionsWorld Hunger Relief has madein Haiti. Nelson has maintaineddrilling equipment even whenit meant traveling to theDominican Republic to

fabricate discontinued parts.In 1992, the US government led an

embargo in response to a military coupthat deposed Haiti’s first democraticallyelected President. This embargobankrupted a large WHRI pepper-production project and left the WorldHunger Relief-Haiti organization(WHRH) in disarray.

Despite a relative lack of directionand financing from the Waco facility,Nelson continued to carry on trainingactivities in the name of World HungerRelief.

In 1996, he requested that WHRIhelp build the College de L’Avenir deFerrier. His vision was for a school thatprovided agricultural training, as well asmore typical academic classes.

Today, the school teaches 125students from pre-kindergarten througheighth grade.

Goats have overrun the compoundand made it difficult to implement thepractical agricultural training. But thanksto Nelson’s persistence and modestfinancial support from WHRI, the schoolserves a marginalized population,including several dozen students whocannot afford to pay the $60 per year intuition and fees paid by other students.

In addition to his communityactivities, Nelson is a skilled farmer. Thisyear he used virtually all his savings toplant seven acres of irrigated rice. Yeteven this he envisions as a form ofcommunity outreach. The price of rice inthe market place is roughly twice theprice out of the field. As production isincreased, he reasons, the local womenwho process and market the crop stand tobenefit as much as he.

Throughout my stay, I witnessedevidence that survival in Haiti can bemore than dog-eat-dog, largely fromthe example of Jackson Nelson, who

has given of himself generously to thecommunity of Ferrier for 30 years.

continued on page 4

JacksonNelson (far

left) with oneof the manywells he has

helped to drillin the Haitian

mountainsover the past

30 years.Photo

courtesy ofWorld Hunger

Relief, Inc.


Other local farmers have not planted rice in recent years due the difficulty ofkeeping out livestock. Nelson has already begun helping some with fencing andseed. If these efforts are successful, a significant contribution will be made to thelocal food supply and economy.

The turmoil surrounding the ouster of President Aristide in 2004, and subsequentpolitical upheaval, have left Haitians with anxiety and uncertainty rather thanhope. In addition to this, the island has been relentlessly battered during the pastfew years by Caribbean storms and flooding. Nonetheless, signs of hope exist inthe efforts of a man whose persistence continues to bear fruit despite all odds. I amhonored to walk in partnership with a man of such character.—This story id reprinted from Farm Notes, the World Hunger Relief Incorporated,newsletter, and is used with permission. For more information about WHRI, gotwww. worldhungerrelief.org.

Against All Odds, continued from page 3

Eradicating Global Poverty:A Christian Study Guide on theMillennium Development Goals64 pages, from the National Council ofChurches and Friendship Press

If the poor will always be with us, whyshould we eradicate extreme poverty?

Because we can, experts say. Humanityhas the means to end worldwide povertyin our lifetime. The real question is, willwe do it?

A new study guide released inFebruary by the National Council ofChurches USA, Eradicating Poverty: AChristian Study Guide on the MillenniumDevelopment Goals, tackles these andother pressing issues.

The Millennium Development Goals(MDGs) are a set of eight goals to endextreme poverty, hunger and disease by2015, agreed to by world leaders in 2000.The study guide aims to motivate peopleto make the goals a reality, according toLallie B. Lloyd, author of the guide.

“Since the Millennium DevelopmentGoals were announced in 2000,” Lloydwrites, “a global movement has emerged.Around the world, and across the UnitedStates, Christians are joining other peopleof faith…in a unified effort to eradicateextreme poverty.”

The goal is not a fantasy, sayseconomist Jeffrey Sachs. “Ours is thefirst generation in the history of the worldwith the ability to eradicate extremepoverty. We have the means, the resources

and the know-how. All we lack is thewill.”

Jesus told his disciples that there willalways be poor people, and so long assinful humans are in charge of the earth,that will remain true. But millions aroundthe world are trapped in a relentless,hopeless poverty that kills people—thatallows children and their parents to sufferand die from starvation, disease andpolitical neglect.

Jesus would be appalled by povertythis extreme, and by Christians who areindifferent to it.

“If we were to learn today, for thefirst time in human history, we have thetools, knowledge and wealth to endextreme poverty,” asks Dr. AntoniosKireopoulos, Associate General Secretaryof the NCC for International Affairs andPeace, “would we take the necessary stepsto do so?”

The editors and writers of EradicatingGlobal Poverty believe the answer is yes.

The study guide has six sessions foruse in congregational church schoolclasses “to foster an understanding of thepertinent issues and promote thisworldwide effort on behalf of the poor,”said Kireopoulos, the guide’s editor.

Each session examines one or moreof the goals. An appendix examines thespecial economic and political challengesfacing the African continent.

All study sessions are timely and attimes emotionally compelling. Theguide’s reminder that millions of poorwomen experience pregnancy andchildbirth without medical support, and500,000 women die in childbirth eachyear, will inspire many readers to getinvolved in eradicating global poverty.

Similarly, it is heart-rending to readthat 11 million children under 5 died fromthe lack of medical care—and that 43developing countries account for 90percent of the world’s deaths of childrenunder 5.

The idea for the study guide grew outof a meeting hosted by the NCC thatincluded a presentation by Sachs, directorof the Millennium Project, a UN-commissioned advisory body thatproposes solutions to meeting the goalsby 2015.

The NCC governing board hasendorsed the MDGs. The study guide wasmade possible in part by a grant fromindustrialist Chang K. Park, a Christianlayman from New York.

The editors of the guide believe thetime may be ripe for a major movement toimplement the UN goals and effectivelyend the poverty that is killing millionsaround the world.—From a story by Philip Jenks for theNCC. For more information, go towww.ncccusa.org.

NCC, Friendship Press Produce Study Guide onMillennium Development Goals


Special Section:

WASHINGTON, DC—Drafts of the FarmBill of 2007 have begun circulating in theUS Capitol as economists, legislators,and hunger activists came together toview what many are calling the mostimportant piece of legislation of theupcoming year.

Agriculture Secretary Mike Johannsoutlined the US Department ofAgriculture’s (USDA) proposals for thebill on January 31.

“We started with the 2002 farm billand propose to improve it by bolsteringsupport for emerging priorities andfocusing on a market-oriented approach,”Johanns said.

The Farm Bill is not as simple asJohanns would indicate, however. In fact,the bill is a source of attention for bothdomestic and foreign markets, and willhave a decisive effect on the well-beingof people at home and abroad.

Farmers in South Africa are just asconcerned as their counterparts in ruralKansas that markets experienceprosperous yields and that their nativeeconomies flourish.

Nevertheless, difficulty andimbalance arise when outside forces—weather, overproduction, or evenlegislators—alter these markets. Thedevelopment organization OxfamAmerica is particularly concerned with

the effect of subsidies on cotton farmersin West Africa.

First begun in the 1930s as a responseto the economic catastrophe of The GreatDepression and Dust Bowl, the Farm Billis now a staple of US domestic agricultureand economic policy.

The Farm Bill provides the USDAwith the funding and direction needed tofulfill its mandates, and is updated everyfive years. Hence, the year 2002 saw the

The crux of the international issuesbrought about by the Farm Bill surroundits treatment of American farmers. TheUSDA—and the taxpayers who supportit—have an interest in seeing thesefarmers succeed. But the commerce onwhich farmers rely does not exist in avacuum; farmers across the globe arealso affected, as are the communitiesthey serve.

The standard way in whichgovernments regulate agriculture marketsis by prescribing artificial limits andpromotions on trade. A major feature ofthe current Farm Bill is its ability toprovide assistance to US farmers.

It accomplishes this throughsubsidies—government moneys thatprovide aid in the way of a grant, taxbreak, or trade barrier. The end result ofa subsidy is that the overall productionand purchasing of a good is increased.

One of the problems created by thesesubsidies is that they cause Americancrops to have an advantage over foreignmarkets whose economies depend onhome-grown agriculture. Farmers in othercountries simply cannot compete withsubsidy-backed goods, and the result ineach case is an economy harmed byagricultural trade deficits.

Unfortunately, the communities mostaffected are those in developing countries

First begun in the 1930s asa response to the economiccatastrophe of The Great

Depression and Dust Bowl,the Farm Bill is now a stapleof US domestic agricultureand economic policy. The

Farm Bill provides theUSDA with the funding anddirection needed to fulfill its

mandates, and is updatedevery five years.

last draft of the bill, and Washingtonlawmakers are preparing to renew debatefor the 2007 cycle.

Many hunger and economic justiceactivists have a strong interest in thelanguage of the upcoming legislation.

The 2007 US Farm Billby Joseph P. Woodard


whose fragile buyer-seller relationshipsare too-easily subverted by cheaper goodsfrom the US.

Oxfam analysts, morover, point outthat the US helped to create internationaltrade rules, and does not always abide bythem. According to a statement fromOxfam, some of the US agriculturalsubsidies violate WTO commitments andare hurting poor farmers in developingcountries.

Even though the WTO ordered theUS to eliminate illegal export subsidiesfor cotton and to reform other WTO-inconsistent subsidies by July andSeptember 2005, respectively, bothdeadlines have come and gone with nochange.

Critics have also pointed out thatUSDA subsidies, at present, do not benefitthose who need them most. Instead, theyhave been distributed mostly to larger

production companies—who, in turn, usethe added purchasing power to buy outsmaller farms. The relief-and-development organization Church WorldService (CWS) suggests that the newFarm Bill could focus on enhancing theoutreach and funding, so that the farmers

who need help the most would receive it.Current trends, however, are almost

the opposite of that aim. The reality isthat commodity subsidies have beenshifting to larger farms and wealthierfarmers.

During 2004, commercial farmsaccounted for 17 percent of the totalfarms receiving payment, but received54 percent of the amount of totalgovernment payment. Meanwhile, ruralresidences made up 50 percent of thefarms collecting payments, but receivedonly 17 percent of the moneys paid.

From 1995-2004, 74 percent ofsubsidies went to 10 percent of farmers,most of which were top-grossing growers.For the small business farm, maintaininga decent living while relying on subsidiescan be difficult.

Another criticism of commoditysubsidies is that they are bad for theenvironment. By encouraging theoverproduction of certain crops, they areoften associated with the plowing ofenvironmentally sensitive lands, overuseof pesticides and fertilizers, and soilexhaustion.

Farming commodities include wheat,rice, soybeans, corn, and cotton. Acommodity is a resource whose marketvalue changes with the price, as opposedto the quality and features of the product.

Special Section: Farm Bill

Above: Church World Service shows with this chart how commodity subsidies areshifting to larger farms and wealthier farmers. (Source: James MacDonald, RobertHoppe, and David Banker (2005). “Growing Farm Size and the Distribution ofCommodity Program Payments.”

Seeds of Change: Help Farmers. End Hunger.Bread for the World Offering of Letters Aimed at Farm Bill

In 2007, the US Congress is expected to reauthorize (or renew) the FarmBill. This legislation is about farms and farmers, but its scope is even broaderthan that. It touches everyone in this country—everyone who eats, and especiallythose who struggle to have enough to eat. Even people outside the United Statesfeel its impact. The Farm Bill includes vital nutrition safety nets that ourgovernment provides for those most in need. It is only renewed every five years,so this is a critical opportunity to fight hungerin the United States and around the world.

Across this country, through Seeds ofChange, Bread for the World’s 2007 Offeringof Letters, people of faith and conscience willbe speaking out for important changes in thefarm bill. With much-needed improvements,the farm bill can provide better support for USfarmers, strengthen rural US communities, helphungry people in the US afford a sufficient andnutritious diet, and help small-scale farmers indeveloping countries to sell their crops andfeed their families—all things that the currentFarm Bill falls short of doing.—For more information, go to www.bread.organd look for Offering of Letters or Seeds ofChange.


When products grown in the US arebasically the same as those grown in Asiaor Africa, consumers are going to reachfor the lowest price.

Research on how to improve the 2007Farm Bill began in 2005, and the bill

During 2004, commercialfarms accounted for 17

percent of the total farmsreceiving payment, but

received 54 percent of theamount of total governmentpayment. Meanwhile, rural

residences made up 50percent of the farms

collecting payments, butreceived only 17 percent of

the monies paid.

Special Section: Farm Billcount of changes since 2002. Loop-holes were removed that had allowedsome larger farmers to take advantageof the subsidies. To comply with aWorld Trade Organization rule, farm-ers are now flexible in the types ofcrops that can be grown, allowing forgreater variety and the market stabil-ity that accompanies it.

• Conservation and trade programs areintended to promote continued respon-sibility on the part of the agricultureindustry. Monies will be allocated toincrease conservation of natural re-sources as well as to assist new farm-ers. The trade program initiative callsfor enhanced international participa-tion, by joining both foreign marketsand the regulatory bodies that set in-ternational standards.

• The nutrition initiative connected withthe bill is intended to strengthen thefood stamp program as well as pro-mote nutrition education. Credit andrural development programs are aimed

currently in development does includeenhanced rural development initiatives.USDA workers and analysts hosted morethan 50 town hall forums to investigatethe needs of the bill. Over 4,000 commentswere used to compile the final documents,which would be the focus of the USDA in2006 and 2007.

The Christian lobby group Bread forthe World (BFW) has embarked on acampaign to raise awareness of theimportant impact of the Farm Bill—onthe rural US as well as societies abroad.

“Bread for the World is calling on allChristians to take bold action, to work forjustice in God’s world,” says DavidBeckmann, BFW president. “Seeds ofChange, our 2007 Offering of Letters,calls on our leaders to make the US farmbill do what it was intended to do—address rural poverty in the UnitedStates—and more.”

In sending hand-written letters tomembers of Congress, Beckmann hopesthat churches and individuals can causechanges to be made in support of small

farmers—who receive few or none of thebenefits offered under the 2002 versionof the Farm Bill. While encouragingfairness for farmers abroad, it is just asreasonable that policies in the US remainfair and reasonable, he argues.

Thousands of letters will be sent fromaround the country over the next months,leading up to the time when the final draftof the bill is written. [See the sidebar onthis page for more information.]

At press time, the USDA plan wasthe draft being used for preliminarydeliberation.

The new Farm Bill includes tentitles—or sections—outlining theprograms and resources that will beavailable. Below are a few of the bill’smain points:

• First, commodity assistance is the flag-ship program of the bill. The new rulesindicate that the requirements for pay-ment and the payment numbers them-selves have been adjusted to take ac-

Sowing Seeds: Growing a MovementAn Interfaith Gathering to End Hunger

June 9-12, American University, Washington, DCOn June 9-12, thousands of people of faith will gather in Washington, DC,

to launch a renewed movement to end hunger and poverty in the United Statesand around the world.

Activists with decades of experience will join with young people justbeginning their public life and political involvement. Rural leaders—newlyenergized with a heart to help hungry people—will meet longtime urban anti-poverty workers. Parents will bring their children to show them that anyone hasthe chance—and the responsibility—to speak to their representatives in Congress.

Campaign leaders from developing countries will meet with developmentpractitioners, to share stories and successes in fighting poverty worldwide.People will reach out across the religious spectrum—evangelical and Catholic,ecumenical Protestant and historic African-American denominations, LatinoChristians and others—to join hands with other people of faith at the InterfaithConvocation.

The Gathering 2007 is organized by Bread for the World, Bread for theWorld Institute, and the Alliance to End Hunger in partnership with denominationsand religious organizations across the United States.—For more information, go to www.bread.org and click on “Sowing Seeds:Growing a Movement.”


For more information about Farm Bill issues,check out these resources:

• The Presbyterian Hunger Program (PCUSA) has posted a candid, question& answer resource (that would be excellent for discussing the Farm Billwith young people) called “Better Farm Bill: If You Eat, You Can’t Affordto Yawn.”Go to pcusa.org/trade/farm bill.

• The Public Broadcasting System’s NOW series has produced a documen-tary about Farm Bill issues, called “A Growing Hunger.”Go to www.pbs.org/now/shows/310/index.html

• Oxfam America is offering a Farm Bill Action Guide called “Reforming the2007 Farm Bill: Living Up to International Commitments,” as well asseveral other resources for “faith-based allies,” and profiles of farmers indeveloping countries (particularly West African cotton-producing coun-tries.)Go to www.oxfamamerica.org/whatwedo/campaigns/agriculture.

• Church World Service has produced a 24-page in-depth resource called“Sowing Justice for Family Farmers Everywhere.” It includes a discussionon commodity subsidies, their misuse, and their impacts on hunger andpoverty at home and overseas.Go to www.churchworldservice.org and click on Resources.

at the disadvantaged, poor, or areasthat are in need of loan and infrastruc-ture assistance.

• Finally, research, forestry, and energyprograms will continue to allow theUSDA the ability to research energyoptions through federally-fundedchannels.

“We need farm policy that recognizes thetremendous potential of Americanagriculture,” said Mike Johanns. “Theseproposals do just that. We listened to thepeople and now deliver our proposals forAmerica’s Farm Bill.”

Johann’s optimism is due in part tothe fact that the Farm Bill of 2007 isintended to save taxpayers money whilestill providing assistance to the farmerswho need it.

Still, analysts from BFW, Oxfam,CWS, and other economic justiceorganizations, worry that dependence onsuch commodity assistance isunhealthy—especially for communitiesabroad. Since 2002, exports have riseneach year.

That means that foreign farmers havemissed the opportunity to serve their owncommunities and, in so doing, potentiallyimprove the stability of local markets.For 2007, exports are expected to reach$77 billion.

In their commitment to eradicatingpoverty worldwide, these organizationshave put their sights on the upcomingdebates as the final details of the FarmBill are committed to law.

“The letter to Congress on behalf ofhungry people is indeed a fit offering toGod,” concludes David Beckmann. His2007 Offering of Letters campaign is oneway that people can contribute to thecreation of a comprehensive andresponsible bill, as the actions of peoplein the US have direct—though oftenunseen—consequences elsewhere. In thisway, the fates of farmers all over theworld are linked.

Special Section: Farm BillBread for the World is also hosting

a June 2007 conference in Washington,DC, to serve as a follow-up to the FarmBill and promote poverty educationworldwide. To participate in thegathering, visit www.bread.org/gathering2007. [See the sidebar on this

page.]—Joseph Woodard, a native of Dallas, isa Professional Writing student at BaylorUniversity in Waco, Texas, and a Seedsof Hope intern. Sources: Bread for theWorld, US Department of Agriculture,Oxfam America, Church World Service.

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Sacred Seasons is a quarterly series ofcreative worship tools to help raiseawareness of hunger and justice issues. Ayear’s subscription includes Advent, Lent,Ordinary Time, and afall hunger emphasisresource. To order, call254/755-7745; fax254/753-1909; write toSeeds Publishers at 602James, Waco, TX76706; or [email protected]. USsubscriptions are $150.Single packets areUS$65. (Non-US subscriptions are $135;individual packets are $60.) For moreinformation, see www.seedspublishers.org.

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a worship resourcefrom Seeds of Hope.

In early December, just before the release of the Warner Brothers film BloodDiamond, Global Witness and Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) announced theirsupport of the movie.

Directed by Edward Zwick and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly, andDjimon Hounsou, Blood Diamond was nominated in Februaryfor five Academy Awards.

The story is set against the backdrop of the chaos and civilwar that enveloped 1990s Sierra Leone and addresses, as thetitle suggests, the issues of conflict diamonds and child soldiers.

AIUSA and Global Witness are urging thoughtful peopleto see the movie, and to take family and friends to see it as well.The two organizations have sponsored a web site that offersseveral helpful resources. One is a Blood Diamond fact sheet.Another is a Curriculum Guide that accompanies the movie.

Interested individuals and groups can also purchase redBlood Diamond bracelets to help promote awareness of theissues surrounding conflict diamonds. Also available on the siteis a survey of diamond retailers, conducted by Amnesty mem-bers, and a diamond buyer’s guide. All of these resources are available in pdf form.—To check out the Global Witness/AIUSA site, go to www.blooddiamond.org. For moregeneral information about conflict diamonds, go to www.amnestyusa.org/diamonds.

Amnesty International, Global WitnessEndorse Blood Diamond Movie

Changing the Face of Hunger: The Story of How Liberals, Conservatives,Republicans, Democrats, and People of Faith are Joining Forces in a New Movementto Help the Hungry, the Poor, and the Oppressedby Ambassador Tony P. Hall

Tony Hall: Changing the Face of HungerBook Tells Story of 25 Years Fighting Hunger

Tony Hall was a Democratic Congressional Representative from Ohio between 1979 and2002. While serving in Congress, he was the chair of the Select Committee on Hunger forthree years. He also founded the Congressional Hunger Center, a nonprofit group thattrains future public servants with an emphasis on hunger issues.

He was appointed in 2002 by President George W. Bush as US Ambassador to theUnited Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture and still serves in that position.

Three times nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, Ambassador Hall has been a leadingadvocate for hunger relief programs and improving human rights conditions in the world.He once went on a much-publicized 22-day fast to call for attention in Congress to hungerissues.

Changing the Face of Hunger covers Hall’s 25 years of anti-hunger work. From ruralareas of Appalachia, to the highlands of Ethiopia, Tony Hall has witnessed the hardshipsand extreme courage of the poor and those working to serve them. This book is aninspirational account of how Americans who work together across religious groups andpolitical parties can make a difference.

The book, a hardcover, is available from Amazon.com for about $15.—For more information, go to www.hungercenter.org


hunger news

Southern African DevelopmentCommunity Speaks Out Against

Abuses in ZimbabweHARARE, ZIMBABWE—Southern Africa is“finally” assuming leadership in trying toresolve the burning Zimbabwean crisis ontheir doorstep, but analysts say it has beena long time coming.

Members of the Southern AfricanDevelopment Community (SADC)—which has pushed for an approach of “quietdiplomacy” to the Zimbabwean crisis,and has increasingly come under fire forfailing to wield any influence—met inLesotho to discuss more activeintervention.

A Zimbabwean opposition supporterwas killed in mid-March, and MorganTsvangirai, who leads a faction of theopposition Movement for DemocraticChange (MDC), was among the pro-democracy leaders arrested and beaten bythe police, allegedly for inciting violence.

Later in March, Zambia’s PresidentLevy Mwanawasa—Deputy Chair of theSADC, broke ranks with the regional bodyto admit that “quiet diplomacy has failedto help solve the political chaos andeconomic meltdown in Zimbabwe,” andeven likened the country to “a sinkingTitanic whose passengers are jumping outin a bid to save their lives.”

SADC has been in existence since1980, when it was formed as a loosealliance of nine majority-ruled states inSouthern Africa, known as the SouthernAfrican Development CoordinationConference (SADCC).

It was created to coordinatedevelopment projects to lessen thosecountries’ economic dependence on then-apartheid South Africa. More recently,the organization’s objectives have evolvedto include maintaining common politicalvalues and promoting peace, security, anddevelopment.

Brian Raftopoulos, a ZimbabweanAfrican Affairs specialist at the SouthAfrican-based Institute for Justice andReconciliation, said the SADC should

have stamped the “human rights debate”on Zimbabwe as “African” at least sevenyears ago, when the 2000 general electionswere marred by violence, but wereendorsed by the SADC as “free and fair.”

In 2005, more than 700,000 peoplewere internally displaced by OperationMurambatsvina (“Drive Out Trash”), athree-month campaign to rid the countryof slums and illegal informal businesses.Again, the SADC maintained its silence.Instead of responding, Raftopoulos said,the SADC “allowed itself to be conned bythe Zimbabwean regime into branding thehuman rights debate as ‘Western.’

Lately, Zimbabwean pro-democracyactivists have become more vocal. Tensionhas been mounting even more inZimbabwe since the beginning of 2007. InNovember, the country’s economy fell toan all-time low as inflation hit the 1,000-percent mark.

In the weeks just before press time,protests and running battles with the policeescalated. The economic crisis—compounded by shortages of foreigncurrency, food, fuel, electricity andmedicines—is becoming increasinglyharsh, while President Mugabe continuesto abuse civil and human rights among thecitizens. In February, political meetingswere banned in Harare, the country’scapital.

Late in March, Pius Ncube, theArchbishop of Zimbabwe’s second-largestcity, Bulawayo, called for mass streetprotests to force Mugabe to “step down”from power.

The Zimbabwean NationalAssociation of Non-GovernmentalOrganizations (NGOs) warned that thecurrent political tension could lead to civilunrest, adding that recent violent incidents

“have occurred against the backdrop of apolitically, socially and economicallyvolatile situation, characterized by highlevels of poverty and inequality,militarization of state functions and de-legitimization of civil society initiatives.”—from Associated Press, All Africa Press

Banana Company Accused ofTies to Terrorist Group

Colombian Government MaySeek Extradition

BOGOTA, COLOMBIA—Colombian officialsmay seek to extradite employees fromChiquita Brands International after theworld’s largest banana producer admittedto paying off United Self Defense Forcesof Colombia or AUC, a paramilitaryorganization that the US governmentconsiders to be a terrorist group.

Chiquita has agreed to pay a $25million fine as punishment for the $1.7million it channeled to the AUC over thecourse of a decade. US prosecutors saidsome payments were made after 2001,when the US federal governmentcategorized the group as terrorist.

“What is important is for Colombianjustice to carry out its own investigationsin the case and if necessary seekextradition,” said Colombian AttorneyGeneral Mario Iguaran, who indicatedthat eight Chiquita employees and twoexecutives from its former subsidiaryBanadex had been linked to theinvestigation.

Chiquita officials said the AUCthreatened its employees and thatpayments were made only to protect them.

The investigation highlights the long-running conflict between the Colombiangovernment and illegal armed groups. TheAUC was originally created by wealthylandowners to protect their property, buttoday has strong ties to cocaine and heroinetraffickers.

In December 1996, paramilitarygroups arrived in Riosucio—the firstcommunity in banana-rich region of Urabato gain legal title to its land as stipulatedby Colombia’s constitution. The


hunger news

NEW YORK, NY—Canstruction, Inc. hascome up with a unique and creative wayto help feed hungry people—by means ofa number of nationwide “canned art”competitions.

Using only cans of food as theirmedium, hundreds of competing teams,lead by architects and engineers,showcase their talents by designing andbuilding giant sculptures.

At the close of each exhibition ofcanned-good sculptures, all of the foodused in the entries is donated to local foodbanks. In addition, cans of food arecollected from the public as the price ofadmission.

In 2005 the not-for-profit groupfocused its attention on victims ofHurricane Katrina.

As Cheri Melillo, President andExecutive Director of Canstruction saidat the time, “The local food banks, alreadymaxed out trying to provide for the 23million Americans that regularly can’tmake ends meet, will be further stressedto address this increased need. Ourdonations will help feed that need.”

At present, Canstruction events areheld in 45 cities across North America.

Canstruction Turns ‘Canned Art’into Food for Hungry

Canstruction competitions createapproximately 400 structures that resultin raising more than one million poundsof canned food each year. The exhibitions,viewed by hundreds of thousands ofpeople, show impressive imagination andconstruction skill.

The national awards ceremony for2006 was held in Los Angeles. The Juror’sfavorite, “One Sardine Is Not Enough”(from Napa, CA), featured 3,936 silversardine cans in a futuristic city skyline.Also nominated for Juror’s favorite,“Cantarctica” (from New York, NY),employed 5,616 cans to construct apenguin family.

“Time to End Hunger” (from GardenState Plaza, NJ) boasted the most canswith 19,103 cans of chicken. Thesculpture was an old-fashioned alarmclock with a rapidly moving minute-hand,“to create a sense of urgency in the effortto end hunger.”—To view the colorful and ingeniousstructures, go to www.canstruction.org.For information about hosting acompetition, contact Cheri Melillo at 212/792-4666 or [email protected].

Right: “Time to EndHunger,” a construction of

canned chicken fromGarden State Plaza, NJ,

was built with19,103cans— the largest number

of cans in the Canstructioncompetition.

paramilitaries killed many people, in aneffort to assert their dominance by forcingthe community off of the prime farmingland.

A lawsuit has also been filed againstDrummond, a US coal company,on behalfof the families of victims. The suit accusesDrummond of links to paramilitarykillings. The company denies the charges.—From San Francisco Bay IndependentMedia Center, NarcoSphere, and Reuters

Documentary Project BecomesAgency for

War-Affected ChildrenInvisible Children, Inc. (IC) started

as a documentary project and has evolvedinto a nonprofit organization dedicated tochanging culture, policy and lives in war-torn Uganda.

The country’s 20-year war, wherechildren are abducted and forced to fightwith the rebel army as child soldiers, is atthe center of IC’s mission. They are dedi-cated to ending this practice.

IC initiated two programs to supportits mission: the Invisible Children Brace-let Campaign, and the Invisible ChildrenEducation Program.

The Invisible Children Bracelet Cam-paign is a micro-economic program in-tended to create jobs in an otherwise un-employable war area, allowing Ugandansliving in displacement camps to generatea much-needed income. The InvisibleChildren Bracelets are sold on its web site(www.invisiblechildren.com/the Mission/bracelet/), and the money is spent in theInvisible Children Education Programs.

The Invisible Children Education Pro-gram provides full-ride scholarships andfull-time Ugandan mentors for war-af-fected children. A donation of $60 coversthe cost for 15 ICBC bracelets, whichyield around $300 when sold. This $300sponsors one child for one trimester inICEP, which may include safety, nutri-tious food, uniforms, housing, school sup-plies, tuition and pay for their Ugandanmentor.—For more information, go towww.invisiblechildren.com.

Hunger News & Hope is publishedquarterly by Seeds of Hope Publishers,

in partnership with the followingdenominational groups:

• American Baptist Churches USA• Baptist General Convention of Texas• Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

• Christian Reformed Churchin North America

• Cooperative Baptist Fellowship• Covenant World Relief

• Evangelical Lutheran Churchin America

• Presbyterian Church USA• Reformed Church in America

• United Methodist Committee on Relief

Staff and VolunteersEditor.......................................L. Katherine CookBusiness Manager.................Laura SchmeltekopfCopy Editor..........................Brent LosakWeb Designer...............................Riley SimmonsEditorial Assistant...................Joseph WoodardArtists......................Robert Askins, Sally Askins,

Peter Yuichi Clark, Robert Darden,Van Darden, Erin Kennedy Mayer,

Lenora Mathis, Kate Moore,Sharon Rollins, Susan Smith, Rebecca Ward

Seeds of Hope Council of Stewards2006-2007

Dale A. BarronH. Joseph Haag

Daniel B. McGee (President)Kathryn Mueller

Charles ReedJon SingletaryDavid Tatum

Ashley Bean Thornton

Statement of PurposeSeeds of Hope is a private, independent

group of believers responding to a common bur-den for the poor and hungry of God’s world, andacting on the strong belief that biblical mandatesto feed the poor were not intended to be optional.The group intends to seek out people of faith whofeel called to care for the poor; and to affirm,enable, and empower a variety of responses tothe problems of poverty.

Editorial AddressSeeds of Hope Publishers are housed by the

community of faith at Seventh and James Bap-tist Church. The mailing address is 602 James,Waco, Texas 76706; Phone: 254/ 755-7745; Fax:254/753-1909; E-mail: [email protected].

Web: www.seedspublishers.org. Copyright© 2006; ISSN 0194-4495. Seeds of Hope, Inc.,holds the 501(c)3 nonprofit tax status.

Seeds of Hope Publishers also produce quar-terly packets of worship materials for the liturgi-cal year—with an economic justice attitude.These include litanies, sermons, children's and

quotes, poems, & pithy sayings

youth activities, bulletin art, and drama.Scripture quotations, unless otherwise

noted, are from the New Revised Standard Ver-sion, Copyright © 2001 by the National Councilof Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by per-mission.

Lord, Most High Creator God of all that is good,Lord of Abundance and Magnificent Bounty,

bless those who hunger todaywith nourishment,let even the smallest of crumbsfill their bellies with satisfactionand their souls, with knowingthat they are indeed blessedwith all the nourishment they need.

By your grace bless themto feel completely satisfied and content.

As they are blessed with food,allow their hunger pangs to becomethe hunger for You, dear Lordand may they alwaysknow contentmentfrom this moment on.

Watch over them Lord,and provide them alwayswith all they need.

May those who feedthe hungrybe abundantly blessedwith all that is goodand nourishingfor their bodies,minds and spirits,may each blessing theybring to thosewho hungerbe returned to themone-hundred-foldso that they, andall whom they love,are sustained alwaysby the Grace and Lightof your Goodnesstoday and always.Amen.

—Lorraine DiDio, a novice in theOrder of Ecumenical Franciscans,lives and works as an advocate forthe poor in Babylon, New York.Art is courtesy of the Franciscanosde Cruzblanca.

A Blessing for Hungry Peopleby Lorraine DiDio

Documents

House, Senate Make Way - Seeds Publishers