September 29th is National Coffee Day? Who knew?! For all you justice-seeking java-holics, here’s something to consider: For the majority of small-scale coffee farmers in the developing world, the benefits of their hard work and economic investments are extremely limited. Rural farmers are isolated from global markets, and the long journey of a harvested coffee …
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We all wish a new year will usher in some hope for alleviating global hunger. But earlier today, a BBC news report and an IRIN report revealed that while the rate of global hunger has declined this year, it still remains “unacceptably high,” according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The FAO estimates …
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With the Jewish High Holy days fast approaching, check out Ruth Messinger’s JTA Op-Ed “Holidays Remind of What We Still Need To Do in Haiti,” which calls upon our individual and collective responsibilities to the Haitian people. Reflecting upon the ubiquitous liturgical refrain asking “Who shall live and who shall die?” that we recite in …
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Though media coverage of the flooding in Pakistan is far less robust than the coverage of the Haiti earthquake, there’s been some recent buzz in the blogosphere. In assessing Pakistan’s crisis, many bloggers have asked some version of the question “Why is no one helping?” Some suspect the reason is donor fatigue. Others stress it’s …
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Unless Haitian farmers and other small business-owners have the opportunity to generate revenue and create jobs, the recovery from last January’s catastrophic earthquake will continue to flounder. The Haiti Empowerment, Assistance and Rebuilding (HEAR) Act, sponsored in the Senate by John Kerry (D-MA) and Bob Corker (R-TN), will help ensure that America’s aid to Haiti …
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