Dear Friends,
Thank you for your interest in the new Joining Hands e-Newsletter. For almost 7 years, Christi Boyd, then Companionship Facilitator with Joining Hands (JH) in Cameroon, published quarterly news about the program, helping JH to reach out and be known amongst Presbyterians and around the world. As Christi and family are responding to a new call, we want to extend special thanks to her for all the work done with the newsletter. We keep her and family in our prayers.
The format of the newsletter has changed, and reflects new orientations of the program decided at the Together for Justice International Gathering in Chicago in 2012. The 3 Campaign focus areas of JH are highlighted and articles are arranged within the corresponding campaign focus. Also, the newsletter provides resources from different sources, so that we can tie our work with others’ working on the same issues.

Please share this newsletter with people you think will be interested in it, and encourage people to Subscribe.

Food and Land

Food Sovereignty in Haiti: The Importance of a Well-Organized Movement

During a week-long commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Mouvman Peyizan Papay (MPP), a member organization of FONDAMA, experts and invited guests from around the world joined with Haitian farmers, calling for land reform, environmentally-friendly agricultural practices and respect for the peasant farmer.  Learn More

Customary Land Ownership Increasingly in Jeopardy: Monitoring Trends in Cameroon   

Land rights of local communities remain precarious in Cameroon, especially now that the rush for land by multinational industrial plantations, like Herakles Farms, is on the rise. RELUFA is engaged in a campaign to ensure that future land reforms take into account the rights of indigenous and local communities. Learn More

Protecting Seeds: Safeguarding Humanity

Rev. Thomas John interviews Kavitha Kuruganti, a renowned activist in sustainable and holistic farming in India.  She explains the evolution from an agriculture meant to feed people to a new profit oriented model, that leads to monopoly, environmental destruction, and results in the impoverishment of farmers and their families. Kavitha explains the importance of safeguarding traditional seeds for the survival of humanity.  Learn More

Organizations Come Together to Work Toward the Common Goal of Food Sovereignty in El Salvador

RUMES is working with others towards (1) the ratification of the reformed Article 69 of the Salvadoran Constitution to explicitly include the Right to Adequate Food, (2) the drafting and enacting of a holistic Food Sovereignty, Security and Nutrition law, as well as (3) the process toward a public policy for food sovereignty.  Learn More

Working with Dalits for a Better Tomorrow

Chiguru, a member of Chethana, works with 700 women who are organized into 35 women’s groups to address human rights issues such as bonded labor, landlessness, and lack of water access of Dalit, “untouchable,” women in India.  Learn More

Extractives and Water

Publish What You Pay: Moral Questions Loom Larger as Economies Globalize

Oral arguments were held earlier this month in Washington, D.C., in an oil industry lawsuit seeking to overturn a U.S. rule requiring oil, gas and mining companies to report their payments to foreign governments to the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) for natural resource rights.  Learn More

The 6th International Congress of Youth Environmentalists Focuses on Mining Contamination

Over 200 gathered for the 6th International Congress of Youth Environmentalists, which brings together annually youth from Bolivia, Peru and the US to discuss environmental issues and the care for the Creation.  Learn More

Environmental Justice for Communities Affected by Mining Contamination in Oruro, Bolivia

In 2009, an Environmental Audit on the Kori Kollo mining operations of the Inti Raymi Company (whose greatest shareholder is Newmont, a US company) was conducted in Bolivia. Unfortunately, the audit failed to study in depth the impact on public health.  UMAVIDA, the Joining Hands Network in Bolivia, is continuing to accompany affected communities and to strengthen their voice as they denounce the violations of the rights of local people.  Learn More

“Poverty and Pollution” Photo Contest and Exhibit Raise Awareness

Cascades and San Francisco Presbyteries in partnership with UMAVIDA hold an annual “Poverty and Pollution” photo contest and exhibit for youth to raise awareness of the root causes of poverty worldwide.  Learn More

Trade Reform

The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement

The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, known as the TPP, is a free trade agreement that is under negotiation now between 11 participating countries across the Asia-Pacific region with the goal of liberalizing trade policies. It is, to date, the biggest agreement of its kind and promises to dwarf NAFTA in its importance. Learn More

Greedtopia: A Teach-in on Global Trade and Climate Change

Organized by the Presbytery of Giddings Loveljoy, the Teach-in was an opportunity for local environmentalists to come together with international trade activists to learn about the vital intersection of tar sands, pipelines, trade agreements, climate change, and greed.  Learn More

Resources and other news

Vanderbilt University Divests from "Land Grab" in Africa Press Release
Land grabbing for biofuels must stop article by GRAIN
The Global Land Grab report by Transnational Institute
Minerals of Hope video by RELUFA
TPP: what is it and why does it matter article by BBC
Facing the Threat of the Trans-Pacific Treaty article by the Institute for Policy Studies
Financial Transparency in Ghana: What are big oil companies hiding? video by Oxfam