News Briefs: November 16, 2006
International board member to speak on women’s issues
CLWR Board Member Aberash Dinsa will be in Winnipeg 5:30pm-8:00pm on November 20 to speak about female genital mutilation and HIV/AIDS in relation to harmful traditional practices. Dinsa is the Women’s Ministry Coordinator for the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus.
The speaking engagement is being sponsored by Evangelical Lutheran Women (ELW), an organization related to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. “For many of us these issues seem far away. However, there are immigrant communities in our Canadian cities who are practicing female genital mutilation and HIV/AIDS is also present,” says Ruth Vince, executive director of the ELW.
If you would like to take part, call the ELW at 204.984.9160 by November 17 to register. The cost is $10 and includes an Ethiopian dinner.
– CLWR News Service
Ethiopian development worker shares stories with Canadians
The work of development workers in the State of Afar, Ethiopia can be difficult for Canadians to grasp. This is a part of the world where the world’s highest average annual temperatures have been recorded and where the pastoral inhabitants can pack their homes and move in less than an hour to better grazing land. This is where Menberu Meles works in partnership with CLWR and the Canadian Foodgrains Bank in several food-for-work projects.
For the past month Meles, development director for the Ethiopian development agency Support for Sustainable Development (SSD) has been sharing his stories with Canadians. Beginning his tour in Atlantic Canada, Meles spoke in Winnipeg earlier this week before continuing on to Alberta.
CLWR supports food-for-work projects in Afar, which means community members are paid in food for their contributions in the construction of irrigation schemes. “We are very careful to point out to the people that they have a right to food and are not being forced to work to earn food relief,” notes Meles. Through food-for-work, which is facilitated by Canadian Foodgrains Bank, the livestock-dependent people of Afar are now discovering a more diversified and resilient food base that includes fruit and vegetables.
– CLWR News Service
Autonomy of development agencies threatened in Peru
Development agencies may lose their ability to work freely in Peru under certain legal amendments currently underway in that country, according to Lord Eric Avebury, president of Peru Support Group. The legal amendment would require non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to register with a government body, the Agency for International Cooperation (APCI). APCI would gain the power to revoke an NGO’s registration without preliminary warning or right of appeal.
“This threat to the autonomy of NGOs follows recent criticisms by government spokespersons of the activities of a number of highly regarded human rights organisations,” writes Avebury. “The new legislation will undermine the freedom of NGOs to criticize governments and their policies.”
CLWR operates in several areas (departments) in Peru, with a focus on environmental protection. Sophie Gebreyes, CLWR Program Director for Latin America, says “the amended law as is will not leave CLWR and its local partners unaffected, but exactly how remains to be seen. We are closely monitoring the developments.”
– CLWR News Service
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