Farm Bill debates are picking up in Washington, so now is the time to reach out to members of Congress and share our vision for a just Farm Bill. People committed to AJWS’s work in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago have been organizing other AJWS supporters and activists to participate in meetings …
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The 20th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit hosted by Cambodia wrapped up last week. The eyes of the region were on Cambodia offering local NGOs a rare opportunity to voice human rights concerns in Cambodia. Given the current trend of silencing dissent and criticism around contentious issues, the Summit represented a valuable entry …
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Originally posted on the Global Circle blog. “The average citizen totally underestimates their ability to impact policy and decision making here in Washington.” – Jon Carson, Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement There I was, sitting with 82 members of the American Jewish Community representing 21 Jewish organizations as part of the …
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If we were to try to summarize the purpose of the Seder ritual in one sentence, we could find that sentence in the Haggadah itself: “Bechol dor vador, chayav adam lir’ot et atzmo k’ilu hu yatza miMitzrayim—In every generation, each of us must see ourselves as if we, ourselves, went out from Egypt.” The foods …
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As Women’s History Month draws to a close, AJWS’s country consultant for Haiti, Amber Lynn Munger-Pierre, reflects on Women’s Day in Haiti. If there were an observable theme that I could surmise from the Women’s Day activities in Haiti on March 8th, I would say that it was unity. The Women’s Day march brought together …
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Infographic Demonstrates Inefficiencies and Opportunities in Food Aid System Washington, D.C.; March 29, 2012 – More than 17 million people could receive life-saving food aid at no additional cost to U.S. taxpayers if Congress cuts red-tape in the U.S. Farm Bill – according to new research from international relief and development organizations Oxfam America and …
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On Sunday, the Senegalese people were the pride of West Africa. They went to the polls in a run-off election and peacefully elected opposition leader Macky Sall over the incumbent president, Abdoulaye Wade. Wade was running for a controversial third term in office even though youth unemployment, high commodity prices and a broken promise of …
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Originally posted on The Jew and the Carrot. This is the story of a fishpond. Not just any old fishpond, but a fishpond in Muchucuxcah (Pronounce the x like a sh), Mexico, four hours west of Cancun. I was in Muchucuxcah for ten days in January with American Jewish World Service’s Rabbinical Students Delegation. We were there …
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On March 19th, 1,500 rural and indigenous community members in Guatemala began marching for nine consecutive days to defend their natural resource rights. Tragically, state-sanctioned practices are destroying forests and mountains, contaminating rivers and water sources, and preventing rural Guatemalan communities from sustainably producing their own food. Nearly one year ago, hundreds of rural Maya …
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Friday started off as one of those days in which I remember why I decided to move to Washington, DC. At Sherman Circle, a block from the Sudanese Embassy, hundreds of activists gathered to protest the Sudanese government’s blocking food aid. The rally called on the United States and world leaders to stop the violence and …
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