LIFE-NET NEWS

by Ret Z.

Covering Poverty Widely in a Net of Many Voices

2004 August 25	No Profit; No Proceeds
Volume 8 Number 13	All-Volunteer

"Give a family a fish, and they'll eat a meal;  give them a Net, and they'll have fish for Life."

Population: Poor Nations to Explode, Rich to Shrink

The world is heading for wildly uneven population swings in the next 45 years as many rich countries "downsize" while almost all developing nations grow at breakneck speed, says a comprehensive report released on August 18 by leading US demographers. By 2050, they predict that: At least an extra billion will be living in the world's poorest African countries; Nigeria alone may add 170 million as its population more than doubles. A dozen countries will more than double in population. They are all politically, socially or environmentally volatile. Bangladesh, one of the poorest, most crowded and disaster-prone countries, may double to more than 280 million. Western Asian nations are expected to gain about 186 million. India will leapfrog China to become the world's most populous country.       But the populations of some countries will shrink, led by eastern Europe, where, for example, Bulgaria is expected to dwindle by 38% down to its pre-1914 level. Japan, now with only 14% of its population under 15, may shrink from 130 million to roughly 100 million.       The changes, considered inevitable given present trends, will transform geopolitics and fundamentally affect the world's economies, resources, and people's lifestyles, suggest demographers with the Washington-based Population Reference Bureau. Experts express growing alarm, believing sustained growth in developing countries necessitates economic help from rich countries, many of which are shrinking. (The US is the only major industrialized nation expected to see "significant growth": by 43% to 420 million.)       Climate change and land degradation are widely expected to encourage further widespread migrations, particularly from rural areas to cities and richer countries. The former World Bank economist Herman Daly believes globalization and the uncontrolled migration of cheap labor could put catastrophic pressure on local communities and national economies.       Source:  Mail & Guardian (South Africa)

Charley Pummels the Poor

"Evidence of the storm's destruction grew alarmingly worse as we travelled southeast of Orlando," reports Church World Service (CWS) staffer Melina Pavlides. "Some areas were just carnage of twisted metal remnants. All of these communities represent vulnerable populations." She notes that most residents affected are either Spanish-speaking immigrants from Ecuador, Mexico, and Puerto Rico or Creole speakers from Haiti.       "All of the communities impacted here are impoverished," she says, noting that many families are renters and most are underinsured. "They haven't had running water or electricity since the storm, and with temperatures soaring in the mid-90s, they are 'taxed'." Because the storm was projected to make landfall to the north, many residents did not evacuate; all who lived through it are traumatized.       Marie Torres, a trailer park manager in Bowling Green, told Pavlides that she remains deeply worried for the families in the park. "They need everything, especially the young children."       "The situation for farm workers in Florida is particularly perilous now," says CWS's Disaster Response and Recovery Liaison (DRRL) Heriberto Martinez. Martinez has been working in Hardee and Manatee counties -- two areas where citrus crops were hard-hit by the storm, causing farm workers to lose their jobs. "If they were poor before the hurricane, they're even poorer now, and it's going to get worse."       "We will need to champion the cause of communities where other groups are not going," says CWS DRRL Lesli Remaly. "There is also particular concern for those who were vulnerable even before Charley."       Because Charley wrought such widespread havoc, some of the people who usually are called upon for help and comfort -- community church leaders -- are victims themselves. If you, reader, would like to step into the gap, money is best: Donate via credit card or online to one of the assisting agencies such as CWS, or via your church, synagogue or mosque.       Source:  Church World Service (in an August 23 bulletin)

Before There Were Jobs

The English historian EP Thompson, in his classic book The Making Of The English Working Class (1963), argues that jobs are a relatively recent phenomenon, born out of the Industrial Revolution, before which work was a much more haphazard affair. The idea of being yoked to one employer to the exclusion of all other money-making activity was unknown.       Take the weavers. Before the inventions in 1764 of the spinning jenny and the steam engine, weavers were generally self-employed and worked as and when they chose. The young Friedrich Engels noted that they had control over their own time: "So it was that the weaver was usually in a position to lay by something, and rent a little piece of land, that he cultivated in his leisure hours, of which he had as many as he chose to take, since he could weave whenever and as long as he pleased," wrote Engels in his 1845 study The Condition Of The Working Class In England. "They did not need to overwork; they did no more than they chose to do, and yet earned what they needed."       "The work pattern was one of alternate bouts of intense labour and of idleness." A weaver might weave eight or nine yards on a rainy day. On other days, a contemporary diary tells us, he might weave just two yards before he did "sundry jobs about the lathe and in the yard & wrote a letter in the evening." Or he might go pick cherries, work on a community dam, calve the cow, cut down trees, or go watch a public hanging. The pattern persists among some self-employed -- artists, writers, small farmers -- today and provokes the question of whether it is not a "natural" human work rhythm.       Then came England's dark satanic mills and the Industrial Revolution. The new Protestant work ethic took over. The thundering 19th-century polemicist Thomas Carlyle promoted the notion of the dignity or even romance of hard graft. "Man was created to work, not to speculate, or feel, or dream," he wrote. "Every idle moment is treason."       It is your patriotic duty to work hard -- another fiction, particularly convenient to the rich who, as Bertrand Russell said, "preach the dignity of labor while taking care themselves to remain undignified in this respect."       Source:  Thomas Hodgkinson, book How To Be Idle

Proposed Banking Rules Endanger Community Development

The Bush administration, which has already hobbled programs that provide housing subsidies for the poor, is undermining the Community Reinvestment Act, the most successful community revitalization program in the nation's history. The act requires banks to lend, invest and provide banking services to poor communities. So far, it has made more than $1.5 trillion available, much of it to developers and nonprofit groups that build affordable housing for the elderly and disabled people, as well as to medical clinics and other projects that would never get built if they were left to the private sector.       Thoughtful critics in the banking community have a point when they argue that the program needs updating and simplification so that investments are targeted more effectively and banks have less difficulty complying with the act. But two of the federal agencies that oversee the banking industry have proposed a drastic change. Looser evaluations that apply to banks with assets of up to $250 million would be opened up further and applied also to savings-and-loans with assets of up to $1 billion. This could allow more than a thousand financial institutions to back away from their community development obligations, in many states downgrading banking services to consumers and depriving communities of badly needed development projects.       Yes, the government should update the regulations to make it simpler for banks to comply, but the Bush administration has a way of presenting a major policy change as a minor effort to tidy up cumbersome rules. Banks should not be allowed to jettison community reinvestment responsibilities -- which occupy a tiny fraction of banking assets -- in the quest for profit. If these new regulations are allowed to stand, the loss of CRA-driven investments could be significant in some states, like Alabama, Florida, Idaho and New Hampshire. Communities could eventually find themselves back in the dark ages of redlining and financial isolation.       Source:  New York Times

The Terrible Cost of Aid Work in Afghanistan

Adapted from a piece by Conor Foley, of the Norwegian Refugee Council's legal aid project in Afghanistan, who left that country last month:       Many are asking whether the benefits that aid workers bring to Afghanistan outweigh the price they are asked to pay. Hearing of the murder of friends and colleagues, of aid convoys being ambushed, of premises rocketed and mortared, or of vehicles booby-trapped has led to growing anguish and anger.       Over the past 12 months around 40 of my fellow aid workers have been murdered in Afghanistan. Virtually every humanitarian organization has had its staff or offices threatened or attacked. I narrowly missed being caught up in an attack a few weeks before I left, and one of our offices was bombed on the day I stepped down. Much of the country is now off-limits to humanitarian organizations, and in areas where we still operate, there are curfews and restrictions of movement. Conditions are expected to get worse in the run-up to October's elections.       Most NGOs keep refusing to accept armed guards or escorts. But the militarized environment in which we work is affecting our identity and how others perceive us.       One reason why most humanitarian organizations pulled out of Iraq was the feeling that we had become identified with an operation that many believe violated international law, so our presence compromised our neutrality. In Afghanistan, Doctors Without Borders cited a blurring of lines between humanitarianism and military action as one reason why it withdrew.       US involvement in Afghanistan isn't all bad: It remains the biggest donor and maintains the biggest contingent of foreign troops, although they are not part of the internationally mandated security force. But do these contributions make up for the growing politicization of aid, the undermining of international law, and the weakening of humanitarian principles? For the colleagues I left behind, it's a life-and-death dilemma.       Source:  Guardian (UK)

Development Battle in Brewerytown

The African-American Business & Residents Association (AABRA) of Brewerytown, Philadelphia, says that city officials and their district councilman kept public meetings unpublicized as they pushed an ACME warehouse project in the neighborhood. AABRA says that the officials and councilman concealed important details about the project, including that it would: Put up 4 take-out restaurants, 1 Stop N Go, 3,348 square feet of new signs, and 116 loft units that could rent for $1000, $1500 or more a month, clearly not rentable by current neighborhood residents. Cause rents and property taxes to rise high enough that most residents may soon have to relocate. Clog Brewerytown's narrow one-way streets with traffic. Attract late night elements, possibly with liquor sales. Offer day labor construction jobs without a guarantee of union membership, and futureless minimum-wage jobs by the bushel. Escalate class and racial tensions. Feature a helicopter pad to whisk the wealthiest renters to the rooftop.       Acquisition of land for the project involved sending eviction notices to "the black cowboys", who would have to clear out of their 31st Street stables just three days before Christmas last year. "They *never* invited you to any meeting to discuss whether you wanted the horses to leave," writes AABRA. "They rejected an offer for the community to buy the stables, renovate them, and run them properly. They wanted that land at all costs."       Instead, AABRA wants to build a center for African-American history and culture, and for trade with Africa. It says the community would own half, the residents would profit, and no one would have to move.       Source:  African-American Business and Residents Association

#  LNN  #  Small  #  Hauls  #

The wealthiest fifth of households in 1973 took 44% of total US income, according to the Census Bureau. Their share climbed to 50% in 2002, while everyone else's fell. For the bottom fifth, the share descended from 4.2% to 3.5%. Since the White House's tax cuts began, the top fifth pays almost 1% less of the overall share of total federal tax liabilities while the middle class pays almost 2% more of it. Luxury goods companies enjoy swelling sales while the prices of basics like health care, housing, tuition, gas and food have soared. New jobs are concentrated in lower-paying industries: health care, food services, and temp agencies (which alone account for about a fifth of all new jobs). Wages are stagnant. Three in five new jobs pay below the national median hourly wage ($13.53). On a weekly basis, the average wage of $525.84 hasn't been so low since October 2001. (Associated Press) "The new federal [overtime] rules specifically say that where a state regulation is stricter than the federal rule, the state regulations will apply. And our wage and hour laws are already stricter," said John Sarno, president of the Employers Association of New Jersey. Said employment law attorney Paul Weiner, in NJ "you have to spend at least 80% of your time doing management-type work in order to be exempt" from OT pay. The federal rules also set a new wage threshold. In addition to being exempt from OT by virtue of the work itself, the job must pay at least $455 a week or $23,660 a year to qualify for an OT exemption. NJ's wage trigger is $400 a week or $20,800 a year; the state will adjust its threshold up to the federal $455. (Newark Star-Ledger) The hunter-gatherer Jarawa tribe (pop. 270) of the Andaman Islands in the Indian Ocean is facing widespread theft from their food sources. Hundreds of local Indian settlers and Burmese poachers are hunting and fishing along the Andaman Trunk Road and the coast of the Jarawa reserve. Lichu, a surviving member of the decimated Great Andamanese tribe, says, "I think what happened to us is going to happen to the Jarawa too. ... Lots of settlers are hunting in the Jarawa area. There is not enough game left for the Jarawa. Their fish are also being poached. Public interaction with the Jarawa should end. The Andaman Trunk Road must be shut." Other tribes on the Andamans, the Onge and the uncontacted Sentinelese, are also seeing more theft from their food sources. (Survival International) Nationally, teachers spend over $1 billion a year of their own money on classroom supplies, everything from chalk to books to microscopes. According to a 2001 study by Quality Education Data, on average, teachers in grades K-8 spend about $520 a year, with new teachers, who make the lowest salaries, spending about $700. Enter Charles Best, a 28-year-old high school teacher in the economically depressed South Bronx. Four years ago, Best started the Internet-based non-profit DonorsChoose for teachers in New York City. Earlier this year, he expanded it to North Carolina. Here’s how it works: Teachers submit proposals for classroom supplies, which are then reviewed and posted on the site. www.donorschoose.org Potential donors can then browse these proposals and, if they choose, fund them fully or partially. (Beliefnet) Activists credited Camden city council with "courage and sanity" this summer when it joined Atlantic City as the second NJ city to pass an ordinance establishing a city-run syringe access program. Politicians left and right, to seem tough on crime, have opposed such programs in the state. Activists say that just because a person can get a clean rig doesn't mean they'll introduce themselves to heroin; now the groups are setting their sights on Newark and Paterson. (New Jersey Independent Media Center)

Life-Net News Extra

USAID Announces Alliance with Kraft Foods for Guinea Farmers

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Kraft Foods Inc. announced early this month a public-private alliance to strengthen cashew production systems in Guinea and help lift local farmers out of poverty.       Guinea, a French-speaking country in West Africa, is one of the poorest countries in the world. About 80% of its population lives by subsistence farming. Poverty and the use of unsustainable agricultural practices have resulted in the rapid degradation of the natural resource base, as farmers are forced to clear large tracts of land to meet basic food needs.       The public-private alliance will strengthen local farmers and small businesses to effectively manage the growing cashew sector, while encouraging sustainable management of natural resources and fostering economic and social development in targeted regions of Guinea.       "Sustainable development is essential for countries such as Guinea to climb out of the depths of poverty. This program, which is an excellent example of USAID's Global Development Alliance model, will provide cashew farmers with the training and tools needed to achieve sustainability, thus assisting the nation in moving forward as a whole," said Frank Young, Deputy Assistant Administrator for USAID's Africa Bureau. "The alliance between Kraft and USAID creates a win-win situation for Kraft, USAID and, most importantly, for the farmers of Guinea."       USAID will commit up to $500,000 while Kraft and local partners in Guinea have pledged to fully match USAID's financial commitment. Kraft will commit up to $250,000 to the alliance.       "Kraft is excited to work with USAID to develop Guinea's cashew sector," said Brian Meinken, Senior Director, Commodity Procurement for Kraft. "Through this alliance, we will be contributing to a sustainable future for farmers and their families while helping to ensure a high quality supply of cashews for our consumers. As one of the largest cashew purchasers in the world, we have a strong stake in promoting a long-term future for the industry and those who depend on it."       USAID's Global Development Alliance is an important new model for delivering foreign assistance in the 21st century. By harnessing the expertise and resources of private corporations, foundations and other non-governmental actors in support of international development, programmatic results are greatly multiplied.       Source:  USAID

State Starts Inspecting Sites for Mentally Ill

The state Department of Community Affairs began examining 93 free-standing residential facilities for the mentally ill Monday for potentially life-threatening violations, said Gretchen Michael, spokeswoman for the state Department of Health and Senior Services. The inspections come almost two weeks after state Senate President Richard Codey (D-Essex) paid surprise visits to two such facilities in East Orange and found conditions that experts described as dangerous.       There are 151 residential health care facilities licensed to provide room, board and assistance with medication and personal care to mentally ill people who have been discharged from psychiatric hospitals or are developmentally disabled. Michael said 33 of those facilities are attached to nursing homes and are subject to more regular examination, and 25 other free-standing facilities have been examined in the last year.       Eden House, one of the facilities Codey visited, was in danger of being shut down. It has satisfied some conditions imposed upon it by the state, such as hiring outside contractors to provide housekeeping and security and make repairs to the facility. When Codey visited the facility, he found that the building smelled of urine and that some residents were living three to a room.       Eden House owner Hal Katz acknowledged poor conditions at the facility but said the state does not provide enough money for him to meet state standards. Currently, owners of residential health care facilities are paid $630 per month for each person, mostly from Social Security income, a federal and state program for seniors and the disabled, and a small state grant.       Source:  Newark Star-Ledger

#  LNN  #  Small  #  Extra  #  Hauls  #

Worldwide, sales of home electrical appliances grew by 5% in the late 1990s. The potential for growth is enormous, particularly in developing countries, where appliance penetration rates have until recently been low. In India, sales of frost-free refrigerators are projected to grow nearly 14% annually. In rapidly developing China, more than 65% of city-dwellers now own a refrigerator, and more than 90% own a clothes washer -- both up from less than 5% only two decades ago. Chinese electricity demand surged more than 400% during the 1980s because of purchases of new appliances. (Worldwatch Institute) Combating poverty and racism were especially important to J. Irwin Miller of Columbus, Indiana, a prominent industrialist, philanthropist, biblical scholar and patron of the arts who served as the National Council of Churches' first lay president in 1960-63. Miller died August 16 at his home at age 95. He once said, "I believe there is no area in life which should not be governed by Christian principles. Christianity should speak to labor leaders, business leaders, politicians, doctors, lawyers and bankers." (National Council of Churches)

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 +