| LIFE-NET NEWS |
| by Ret Z. |
| Covering Poverty Widely in a Net of Many Voices |
| 2003 October 15 | No Profit; No Proceeds |
| Volume 7 Number 17 | All-Volunteer |
| "Give a family a fish, and they'll eat a meal; give them a Net, and they'll have fish for Life." |
| Africa Progress Report Mixed |
|
Africa has made strides in implementing the continent's
development plan by increasing spending on education and
health and setting up mechanisms for improving standards
of political governance, but it suffers from trade
disadvantages and a brain drain, a senior UN official said
yesterday.
"The highlight of the NEPAD [New Partnership for Africa's Development] report is that official development assistance to Africa has increased in the past two years, from $17.73 billion in 2001 to about $18.62 billion in 2002," said Under-Secretary-General Ibrahim Gambari. Despite the modest increase, the challenge of meeting the Millennium Development Goals to halve extreme poverty by 2015 appeared to be slim, he said. Besides, the increase in aid was more than offset by trade inequities, the report says. Total official development assistance "is modest in comparison with the huge agricultural subsidies paid to farmers in the developed countries. Furthermore, the subsidies depress commodities prices, hindering Africa's ability to increase exports and escape from poverty and dependence on aid." On education, the report says, "The quality of education in Africa has continued to deteriorate. That, coupled with the 'brain drain,' remains a serious challenge." It adds, however, "In the education sector, a number of partner countries have made pledges to the Education for All Fast Track Initiative, with the aim of raising the level of primary school enrolment in countries with very low enrolment rates." Of the struggle to reduce the sometimes crippling indebtedness of African countries, the report says pledges to reduce or cancel debts had come from Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Kuwait and the United Kingdom. To improve governance and reduce corruption, the African Peer Review Mechanism was created and by July 2003 it had gathered 16 member states volunteering to have their economic and political performance monitored by other African governments. The report says, "Participating countries agree to cooperate (with) and assist each other, share best practices, identify shortcomings to be addressed and accept the exercise of dialogue and persuasion, where necessary, to encourage improvements in country policies and practices." Of conflicts in Africa, Mr. Gambari said many had been resolved or were being resolved. In Angola, peace was "irreversible" and progress had been made in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Liberia and Sudan. "But despite all those positive developments, the bigger challenge is maintaining the peace in countries emerging from conflict." Source: United Nations |
| As Cherokee Poverty Falls, So Do Psych Problems |
|
The gambling casinos bringing money to North Carolina's
Cherokee Indians created a unique "laboratory," Duke
University Medical Center researchers said, leading them
to publish a study yesterday showing that psychiatric
disorders in children improved as the number of families
in poverty declined. During a study of psychiatric
disorders and drug abuse near a Cherokee reservation, Duke
professor E. Jane Costello said she and her colleagues
noticed that some Cherokee families had earnings above
poverty level after tribal leaders distributed casino
revenues -- about $6,000 per person in 2000.
The researchers examined the mental health of 1,420 children -- 350 of them Native Americans -- over eight years to see if poverty was linked to specific emotional and behavioral problems in children, and if that would change if they were no longer poor. The children, ages 9 to 13, were given annual psychiatric assessments to test the theory. The income supplements lifted 14% of the families in the study out of poverty. Another 53% of families remained poor, and 32% were never technically considered "poor." The psychiatric symptoms in the never-poor, persistently poor, and formerly poor children were compared during the four years before and after the casino opened. The researchers reported finding that families moving out of poverty had a decreased frequency of psychiatric symptoms over the four years. By the fourth year, the psychiatric symptom level was the same among children whose families moved out of poverty as it was for children whose families were never poor. However, increasing the incomes of never-poor families had no effect on the frequency of behavioral or emotional symptoms. Costello also said the study indicated that the children got more adult supervision as they rose from poverty -- a situation that she said could help explain the decreasing psychiatric symptoms in the children. In addition, she said, parental supervision fell by a smaller amount in the group that moved from poverty to nonpoverty than it did in the group that remained poor. She defined the psychiatric symptoms being logged as "conduct disorders," characterized by patterns of behavior in which either the basic rights of others or societal norms or rules are violated. Others were listed as an "oppositional defiant disorder," a persistent pattern of disobedient, negative and provocative opposition to authority figures, which is characterized by temper tantrums, violating rules, arguments and stubbornness. "Poor families are under incredible stresses," said Costello, "often working two jobs, trying to pay the rent and get kids to school, keep the car running, things like that. What intrigued me was the hint that just relieving parental stress seems to help the kids. I'd like to explore that further." Source: Durham Herald Sun |
| Hunger Stalks Tanzania |
|
Up to two million Tanzanians are facing starvation as the
African country reels under drought and erratic rainfall.
An aid agency said on October 3 that the situation was
turning grim and many families in the Shinyanga district,
south of Lake Victoria, were already down to one meal a
day.
"Some young girls are being forced to marry into wealthy households so their families can buy food with their dowries," a spokesman for the Presbyterian World Service and Development (PWSD) agency said. "Others are turning to prostitution." Predicting a catastrophic future, PWSD said crop production next farming season would be affected, since people were eating seeds instead of planting them. Farmers were also traveling to look for work instead of working their own land. The ongoing drought was expected to diminish pastures and water sources, making the situation worse. "We are at a point where we can do a lot to bring about positive changes before this becomes a full-blown disaster," the aid official said. Source: Al Jazeera |
| Black Clergy Up In Arms Over Game 'Ghettopoly' |
|
Cheap Trick Avenue instead of Boardwalk? Hernando's Chop
Shop instead of Reading Railroad? Black leaders are
outraged over a new board game called "Ghettopoly" that has
"playas" acting like pimps and game cards reading, "You got
yo whole neighborhood addicted to crack. Collect $50."
Black Clergy say the game, the brainchild of a Pennsylvania man, should be banned. They've called for a boycott of Urban Outfitters unless the company stops selling Ghettopoly in its chain of clothing stores. "If we are silent on this issue there is more of this type to come," the Rev. Robert P. Shine Sr., president of the Black Clergy of Philadelphia & Vicinity, said at a sidewalk rally October 8 in front of Urban Outfitters' corporate headquarters in Philadelphia. Shine displayed the game board, with properties including Westside Liquor, Harlem, The Bronx, and Long Beach City, and squares labeled Smitty's XXX Peep Show, Weinstein's Gold and Platinum, and Tyron's Gun Shop. Players draw "Hustle" and "Ghetto Stash" cards with directions like, "You're a little short on loot, so you decided to stick up a bank. Collect $75," and, "Steal $$$ if you pass Let$ Roll." The creator of Ghettopoly, David Chang, did not immediately answer e-mails or phone calls seeking comment about the game. On his Web site, Chang is unapologetic and promises that more games are coming soon. "It draws on stereotypes not as a means to degrade, but as a medium to bring together in laughter," Chang maintains, adding, "If we can't laugh at ourselves ... we'll continue to live in blame and bitterness." But the Ghettopoly board depicts figures labeled "Malcum X" and "Martin Luthor King Jr." -- intentionally misspelled -- noted Rev. Glenn Wilson, pastor of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church. "This is beyond making fun, to use the caricature of Dr. King in this regard," he said. "There's no way that game could be taken in any way other than that this man had racist intent in marketing it." The Philadelphia Black Clergy and Men United for a Better Philadelphia were just the latest to protest the game. In Chicago, the Rev. Michael Pfleger, pastor of St. Sabina Catholic Church, called for a boycott of Urban Outfitters. In Florida, the St. Petersburg and Hillsborough County chapters of the NAACP urged the company to stop carrying the game. Source: Associated Press |
| Humanitarian Update: Liberia |
|
Stability and urgently needed aid has yet to reach many
Liberians as fighting continues in many areas of the
country despite an August peace agreement. Even in
Monrovia, people are only slowly gaining a sense of
security.
Liberian church leaders and aid workers say the capital city is not yet safe. "It remains a serious situation. People are still running around with guns," says Benjamin D. Lartey, general secretary of the Liberia Council of Churches. "To be frank, there's no proper law and order, even though there's a minimal government on paper." Late in September, Church World Service (CWS) partners were saying that the mere presence of the clearly visible US ships off Liberia, with their 3,500 Marines, was a stabilizing and calming influence. While the capital was then peaceful, conflict continued in some outlying areas. CWS partners were concerned that removing these ships could embolden the rebel armies of LURD and MODEL, and the peace agreement, already fragile, could collapse. Emergency supplies from CWS help to ease hunger and hardship for thousands of Liberian families uprooted by years of war. "It is extremely good to have these shipments, and I want to underline both 'good' and 'extremely,'" says Rev. Kortu Brown, director of the Concerned Christian Community. "In particular, people always appreciate the Health Kits." People within Monrovia and in camps run by CWS partners outside of Monrovia were receiving the donated goods, which included 6,000 CWS "Gift of the Heart" Health Kits, 6,500 CWS Blankets, more than 12,000 tins of canned meat, and 10 Interchurch Medical Assistance Medicine Boxes. Lartey thanked CWS and its member denominations and said he hoped US churches would continue to support their Liberian brethren. "We need to continue working together, mobilizing our efforts to assist Liberia's sick and needy." Source: Church World Service Source: CWS Liberia |
| Professor Refocuses Images of Homeless |
|
John Allen, who teaches English at the University of
Wisconsin and volunteers frequently in homeless shelters,
has a book being published later this year, "Homelessness
in American Literature: Romanticism, Realism and
Testimony." In it he traces the cultural treatment of
homelessness from pre-Civil War days, when the "wandering
poor" were often depicted in books and magazines as
disappearing helplessly into dark, mysterious cities.
After the war, emancipated slaves joined the homeless and
were often portrayed as menacing figures who represented
a scourge on society.
By the turn of the 20th century, homeless people were seen as fun-loving, clownish characters, as depicted by Charlie Chaplin in silent movies. Norman Rockwell illustrated a playful "tramp" making off with a freshly baked pie. But after World War II, the image of the homeless again took a dark turn, with "skid row bums" perceived as responsible for their own troubles because they were assumed to be heavy drinkers. "You knew where your skid row was, and so you could put all your poor people there and not worry about them," Allen said. Starting in the 1980s, homeless people became stereotyped as mentally ill or drug addicts, he said, and such images have slowed progress in combating homelessness, with only food and shelter provided instead of job training or other serious help. Even TV shows such as "Saturday Night Live" worsen the situation by making light of homeless people and portraying them as destitute. "Seeing homeless people doing anything productive is pretty hard to come by," said Allen. "It creates the belief that they're beyond help." Donald Whitehead, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, said most homeless people are neither mentally ill nor drug addicts. In many cases, whole families suffering from poverty are forced to survive by sleeping in their cars or abandoned buildings. "You never see movies that have those people." Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |
| Project Censored Lists Stories Most Underreported |
Project Censored has issued a list of what it considers
the most censored stories of 2002-2003. Each item on the
list is a link that takes you to the story:
|
| Life-Net News Extras |
| Recession-Resistant NJ Welfare Rolls Start to Rise |
|
The number of parents living on public assistance is rising
for the first time since the state enacted tough welfare
reforms in 1997, according to Department of Human Services
statistics. The welfare numbers went up three consecutive
months, jumping about 3% from May to July, according to
recent state figures. The 23,626 families on welfare as
of July represented a rise of 6% over July 2002.
"It was happening in other states," Deputy Human Services Commissioner David Heins said. "The economy has been poor, and finally, it's taking its toll here." A report released September 29, 2003, showed that the progress of the Work First New Jersey welfare reforms slowed considerably last year. Until the spring, New Jersey was one of the few states where the welfare rolls continued to decline despite the recession. Heins said one reason was the extension of unemployment benefits to people who lost their jobs due to the 9/11 attacks. Now those benefits have expired. The impact of the welfare reforms began to wane last year, according to a report by Mathematica Policy Research of Princeton, which tracks the program for the state. For example, 50% of the 2,000 welfare parents tracked in the report were working last year. That's up considerably from the 34% who were working in 1999, but only a slight improvement from 2001, when 48% were working. The report also said that while more former welfare recipients are working and earning better pay than they did in previous years, 20% still lived below the poverty line. And while their hourly wages jumped 33% to $9.10 an hour since 1999, the increase from 2001 to 2002 was a mere 3%. Also, according to the report:
Source: Newark Star-Ledger |
| Maximize Your Volunteers |
|
When somebody volunteers for your nonprofit organization,
they need an orientation, including a fully informing
overview of what will be expected of them. Often they're
a prominent member of the community, with a busy life
including service to other charitable groups. The
temptation, then, is to minimize the amount of work they
will have to do. Board members are told they need not
attend every meeting. Organization volunteers are told
they need only participate on a few solicitations, or
simply lend their name to the effort. All of these are
critical errors.
Instead, let them tell you what is the limit of their potential involvement, and how far they are willing to stretch themselves on behalf of the organization or specific project. Negotiate and agree upon specific expectations. (This is a corollary of one of the first rules of fundraising: Never say "No" on behalf of the prospect.) Major problems can arise when you minimize a volunteer's workload. First and foremost, the organization may suffer because the volunteer is underutilized. Few volunteers will offer to do more than is asked of them. Regardless of how well we think we know a volunteer, they should be the final authority of how they can best help us. We should engender their leadership, and get them to help us think about their circle of peers and how their influence can be used for the greatest possible impact. Diminishing a volunteer's role can result in the loss of the volunteer. One of the most prevalent complaints among non-profit volunteers is that their skills are underutilized or ignored by the charity. We hear tales of a Madison Avenue marketing executive who is asked to stuff envelopes for a mailing but is not invited to help build a public relations program. The volunteer becomes frustrated and loses interest. Also when you reduce a workload, you may end up regretting it when you later discover additional tasks in which you could've used their help. So you end up going back to the volunteer and essentially reneging on your previous assurances of a light workload. This weakens your volunteer's trust in you. They get the impression that you don't have a strategic plan. A mature effort will share the work across the broadest possible group and provide clear expectations for each leader. Giving volunteers a clear overview of the organization's need and negotiating the expectations of each volunteer should be a critical component of the recruitment process. Provide them with a formal job description, whether they are the chairman of the board or a call center volunteer during a phon-a-thon. Review their proposed role and secure their commitment to adhere to each of the components. This will lend structure and formality to their commitment. This, in turn, will engender their respect and bolster their confidence in your cause. Source: Custom Development Systems |
| A Critique of 'Christian' Zionism |
|
The theology and political ideology of Christian Zionism
raises important challenges for Christians, Muslims, and
Jews as the world learns to cope with the new American
imperialism, in the Middle East and beyond. For Jews,
there are serious questions to be raised concerning the
alignment of many major American Jewish organizations and
the Christian Right. While the prospect of unconditional
support for Israel from upwards of 25 million Christian
fundamentalists may be an attractive political venture,
the Jewish community might be reminded of the history of
anti-Semitism from these new "friends," whose
eschatological vision gives Jews the choice of converting
to Christianity or being incinerated at Armageddon.
Gershom Gorenberg, author of The End of Days, warns Jews of the dangers of such marriages of convenience with groups that ultimately have little in common with Jewish values. Gorenberg writes, "In the long run, [the Christian Right's] apocalyptic agenda has no room for Israel as a normal country. Boosting their expectations could well increase the acrimony when Israel's real needs lead it to depart from the 'prophetic program.'" The alignment of the Christian Right with Likud politics in Israel and the new power alignment within the Republican Party raise multiple problems for Christians. Evangelicals are challenged to not just distance themselves from the Christian Right but to engage in a constructive dialogue that raises significant theological concerns about justice, peace, and the consequences of literal biblical hermeneutics. In addition to a significant lack of justice for the Palestinians, the Christian Zionist agenda does not consider long-term survival for the state of Israel in an increasingly hostile Middle East. Should Israel, because of its increasingly hard-line agenda, lose the approximately $6 billion it now receives annually from the United States, it will face possible economic collapse and increased security threats. Perhaps the most glaring weakness in the Christian Zionist program is its failure to relate to or defend Palestinian Christians! People of the household of Christian faith (to whom other Christians are obligated by holy writ to do good) are fleeing their homeland in record numbers, not due to Islamic extremism but to Israel's brutal occupation policies, including economic closures, seizure of land and settlement construction, and overkill military action. Jesus was challenged by a type of apocalyptic Zionist question just prior to his ascension, when he was asked if it was time to restore the kingdom to Israel. He rejected the idea and told his followers that it was not for them to know the "times or the seasons" that God has chosen. In other words, do not take prophetic texts and turn them into an apocalyptic scenario of the end times and strive to use scripture in a predictive and reductionist form of prophecy. This usurps the sovereignty of God and places human speculation -- inevitably fallible -- at the center of the Christian mission. Jesus offers another direction. He says, "But it is for you to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the world." Or, put another way, go into the difficult places, the places of persecution and crucifixion, and live the gospel. Love one another and proclaim the gospel of justice and love where it will bring opposition. And start in Jerusalem -- the city of the prophets, the city of the empty tomb, the city of Abraham, and learn to live the new life of discipleship. And then, the text continues, Jesus vanished from their sight -- without leaving defined answers to their prophetic questions, but instead leaving the task to figure out how to live as servants of the living God. Source: Sojourners |
| UN: Women Still Face Widespread Violence |
|
Women face varying degrees of violence in all its forms
and their full enjoyment of human rights is seriously
challenged, the senior United Nations official handling
women's issues said today. Assistant Secretary-General
Angela King told the General Assembly's Social,
Humanitarian and Cultural Committee, "Trafficking in women
and girls is a particularly hideous form of violence."
An estimated 700,000 persons were trafficked across international borders annually and most of them were women and girls in their teens and early twenties, she said. HIV/AIDS was spreading faster among women and girls and was inextricably linked to violence, abuse and their low status in society, she added. The efforts of the international community to reverse the rate of spread of HIV/AIDS was largely unsuccessful, with only 300,000 infected men and women out of 42 million having received aid. The Executive Director of the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), Noeleen Heyzer, told the Committee that the proportion of women with HIV had risen to 50% of the persons infected in 2002 from 41% five years before. UNIFEM worked to empower women by means that included strengthening women's economic security and supporting women's leadership roles in governance and peace-building. In that connection, the program continued to manage the Inter-Agency Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence against Women, Ms. Heyzer said. Source: United Nations |
| Most material here is adapted, not quoted. Views expressed do not |
| necessarily represent ours. Life-Net News weekly newspage, Club |
| LIFENET online, the Web site www.lifenetradio.org, and |
| broadcast Life-Net Radio (where you can star!) together make |
| up Mr. Ret Z.'s private charitable enterprise. To get Life-Net e-mail |
| free, or to unsubscribe, just ask: lifenetradio@broadcast.net |
| + Iesous Khristos Theou Huios Soter + |