“We thank Rep. Steve Scalise, the Gulf delegation and the leadership of both the House and Senate for making Gulf restoration such a high priority. The time has come to make good on promises to restore the environments of the Gulf region and the communities and economies that rely them,” said a joint statement issued by Oxfam America along with Environmental Defense Fund, National Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, and Ocean Conservancy. “Now we look forward to getting the bill across the finish line in conference, and the President signing RESTORE into law with the final transportation bill.”

The amendment, called the RESTORE the Gulf Coast States Act, is similar to historic legislation that the full Senate passed last month with strong bipartisan support from 76 senators.

“Oxfam looks forward to working with the people in the hard-hit communities along the Gulf Coast to make best use of these funds to do real restoration work,” said Minor Sinclair, Director, US Regional Office, Oxfam America. “We believe the money can help bring back the vitality of the environment and the economy, put people back to work, and make the communities more resilient. We thank everyone who moved this Act along.”

The Senate's version of the RESTORE Act will ensure that penalties paid by BP and others responsible for the 2010 Gulf oil disaster are used to rebuild the economies of Gulf Coast communities that were impacted by the spill and to restore the natural resources, ecosystems, fisheries, marine and wildlife habitats, beaches, barrier islands, dunes and coastal wetlands that are the foundation of the Gulf Coast economy.

A nationwide poll of 1,006 likely general election voters conducted by a Democratic firm, Lake Research Partners, and a GOP firm, Bellwether Research and Consulting, showed that the vast majority of U.S. voters (84 percent) believe the Gulf Coast—including the Mississippi River Delta—impacts the nation's economy. Nearly two-thirds of those voters (63 percent) believe this region impacts the economy in their part of the country.

Even though Congress passed the law in 2010 and set a statutory deadline of April 17th 2011 to issue a final rule, the SEC continues to delay the rule-making process, despite prominent members of Congress, investors and advocacy groups with the Publish What You Pay coalition urging the regulatory agency to resist industry pressure and follow the letter of the law.

“As Americans rush to the post office to mail their tax returns, oil companies are actively lobbying the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to keep their tax payments secret,” said Ian Gary, senior policy manager of Oxfam America’s oil, gas and mining program. “The hypocrisy of big oil, which loves to trumpet their tax contributions to the US government, has never been more apparent until now.”

Gary added, “The SEC has now been in violation of the law for 364 days. The time for excuses is over.”

To bring attention to SEC’s violation of the law, activists dressed in suits and wearing monkey masks gathered inside an oil barrel in front of the SEC today. They acted out scenes to convey the message that transparency in the oil, gas and mining industry is not monkey business. The action is part of a campaign launched in February that included a demonstration in front of the SEC as well as Chevron building in Houston, Texas, a six-figure ad campaign, and a grass-roots petition targeting oil companies.

“The SEC should not let oil companies push them around,” said Gary. “It’s time for the SEC to bring this saga to an end and follow the clear Congressional mandate.”

While the heavy rule-making workload of the SEC under Dodd-Frank is appreciated, all parties have made their views known to the SEC and it is the responsibility of Chairman Schapiro to bring the final rule to a vote. The deadline is well past and the public is waiting for this vital information. Through SEC action, the United States will be well-positioned to influence the European Commission’s proposal, which would require both private and public companies to disclose the payments they make to foreign governments. The oil industry is actively lobbying in Europe to try to water down the EC proposals.

“The oil industry needs to recognize this transparency wave is inevitable and should stop fighting disclosure rules that benefit companies, investors, energy consumers in industrialized countries and citizens in resource-rich states,” said Gary. “The SEC should stand up to big oil and quickly issue a final rule.”

The final rule must contain no exemptions and should define the project-level reporting obligation included in the law as payments made at the lease or license level in host countries.

The call comes as the Peruvian government is debating whether to grant Doe Run Peru another extension for environmental remediation commitments it made when it purchased the smelter from the Peruvian government in 1997. If it’s granted, the smelter could reopen and put La Oroya’s children at risk again. According to government studies in 2011, blood lead levels in children have decreased since a 2005 study conducted by St. Louis University, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control, which concluded that 97 percent of the children in the town under age six had elevated blood lead levels. In recent statements, Peru’s government has sharply questioned Doe Run’s willingness to address the environmental issues at La Oroya.

“We hope the Peruvian government will maintain its firm position vs. Doe Run in the current negotiations and stand up for the health of workers and innocent children of La Oroya,” said Keith Slack, global manager of Oxfam America’s oil, gas and mining program. “The smelting operation should remain closed until the company takes adequate steps to control toxic pollution.”

However, US-based Renco Group, Doe Run’s parent company, has shifted blame for La Oroya’s environmental problems onto the Peruvian government by filing an $800 million lawsuit against Peru under the US-Peru Free Trade Agreement. Oxfam America believes the claim is one of several tactics the company is using to pressure the Peruvian government to grant Doe Run Peru reprieve from meeting its environmental commitments.

To add to the debate, 18 members of the US House of Representatives sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner expressing their concerns regarding the behavior of Renco Group and its subsidiary. It urges the US government to refrain from supporting the company in its trade dispute with Peru.

“We believe that the poor environmental record of this company reflects negatively on the image of the United States in Peru and Latin America and jeopardizes the credibility of American efforts to promote responsible foreign investment,” said the letter.

In a separate letter to Peru’s Congress, Russ Carnahan, another member of Congress, expresses his concerns over the lead smelter in La Oroya. Congressman Carnahan represents the 3rd district of Missouri, which is home to a lead smelter operation owned by the same US-based Doe Run Corporation and its parent, Renco Group. Similar to the smelting operation in Peru, children and families living near the facilities in Herculaneum, MO have been exposed to dangerously high levels of lead. However, in 2010, Doe Run reached an agreement with the US Environmental Protection Agency to pay $65 million for violating environmental laws, as well as a $7 million civil penalty to pay for environmental remediation.

“We are heartened that prominent members of the US Congress are taking a stand against environmental polluters like Renco Group’s Doe Run lead smelter,” said Rocio Avila, program officer for Oxfam America’s oil, gas and mining program. “The US government should not support companies like Renco Group who abuse investor-state provisions in trade and investment agreements.”

So far, more than 35,000 people have signed a petition calling on the US government to hold the company accountable, which has presented the Peruvian government with a number of onerous demands. These include, assuming responsibility for a 2007 personal injury lawsuit filed against Doe Run in Missouri courts on behalf of 137 sickened Oroyan children; covering the cost of Doe Run complying with the environmental remediation plan; and insisting the government cancel $21.7 million in fines and other penalties it has accumulated over the years.

Peru’s government will make a decision on Doe Run’s demands tomorrow.

Notes to Editors:

To read the Sahel Food Crisis report: http://www.oxfamamerica.org/publications/sahel-food-crisis

Mr. Mamboué added: “Some of the sanctions may prove to be a blunt instrument that hurt the weakest first and foremost, without adequate safeguards. The most vulnerable need to be protected from any actions that seek to bring an end to Mali’s political crisis. We call on those imposing and backing the sanctions to think again and ensure that the impact on ordinary people is kept to a minimum, while also taking steps to ensure that assistance can continue to reach those who need it most.”

Whilst welcoming the ECOWAS's concern to swiftly settle the political crisis, Oxfam is particularly concerned by sanctions to close Mali’s borders, the denial of access to seaports and the closure of some central banking functions.

Some 40% of essential goods come from outside Mali and it is the most vulnerable households that are most dependent on markets for food - purchasing up to 60% of their staples from local market. Restrictions on fuel imports will also hit hard, needed not only for transportation, but also to ensure access to water. Without fuel, the agencies warn that water services in Bamako could soon grind to a halt.

Mamboué continued, “Everything should be done to ensure that the border closures do not impact on humanitarian supplies, but also fuel and any other goods required to maintain programmes. Any limits on banking must also not prevent ordinary Malians from being able to receive vital remittances from overseas, or prevent aid agencies from being able to provide cash programmes for populations who otherwise risk going hungry”.

The agency fears that the devastating consequences of fighting and insecurity, combined with a worsening food security situation, will also produce a further surge in refugee numbers across the region. It is essential that border closures have no impact on the ability for Malians to seek refuge in neighbouring countries.  More than 210,000 Malians have been forced to flee their homes since this beginning of the year and this figures looks to set to rise even further. Already in the last week, UNHCR has reported up to 400 people a day arriving in Burkina Faso and Mauritania, twice the previous level.

The conflict in northern Mali, one of the driving factors of last week’s coup d’état and the temporary closure of borders, had already posed a major risk to vulnerable communities in Mali and the region. Now there are signs that the escalation in the country’s instability is further affecting the already serious food insecurity across West Africa, meaning a rapid increase in humanitarian assistance to the region is urgently needed.

• In Mali, over 200,000 people have been displaced since January. Half of these people have fled to neighbouring countries, and they are in urgent need of food, water, sanitation and shelter. Further waves of displacement remain a risk.
• The disruption of local and cross-border food markets have limited food supplies and increased prices. Markets in Bandiagara at the border with Burkina Faso, Menaka bordering Niger, Nara-Nioro bordering Mauritania, as well as Niono and l’Office du Niger  in the centre of the country, which provides rice for all four countries, have all been hit.
• Traditional migration routes used by pastoralists have been disrupted. Conflict has caused livestock, an essential source of food and livelihoods, to be herded in large numbers towards the south of Mali, and across to Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Niger, where fodder, food and water levels are dangerously low and threaten their survival.
• A reduced ability to travel across borders to seek alternative sources of income and employment to support families at home. This is a traditional way that people cope during crises, with Nigeriens travelling to work in northern Mali, Burkinabè searching for work in central Mali, and Malian women of Nara and Nioro travelling to Mauritania.

While Oxfam and other agencies continue to operate and provide assistance to vulnerable populations in zones affected by conflict, a further degradation of security may risk hampering humanitarian access and provision of basic services to areas of greatest need.

In Northern Nigeria, an increase in conflict over recent months has also affected communities who are struggling with the food crisis. Some border posts in Borno and Yobe states  have been closed due to growing violence, while at other borders exports have been dramatically reduced, having a major impact on the ability of hard hit countries such as Niger and Chad – where 9.7 million risk going hungry this year – to import food. There has also been a sharp downturn in the migration of workers – an important way that families cope in hard times – due to fears of violence.

“The Sahel was already facing a serious and complex food crisis this year, and the growing security concerns in the region risk aggravating the situation further,” said Al Hassan Cissé, Oxfam Regional Food Security Policy Manager. “Regional food markets are not able to function properly in such conditions, meaning greater assistance is rapidly needed to protect millions of people who risk going hungry across the Sahel.”

Responding to the increased humanitarian needs of displaced people, Oxfam is already providing food, water and sanitation to refugees and host communities at three sites in the Tillabery region of Niger, as well as the Fassala transit camp in the Nema region of Mauritania. Preparations are also being made to provide assistance to 19,000 refugees in Burkina Faso. Overall, Oxfam plans to reach 350,000 people in Mali and 1.2 million people across the Sahel with humanitarian assistance.

“The insecurity in Mali must not prevent the urgent efforts needed to deal with the other crisis in this country: the lack of affordable food that threatens the lives and livelihoods of 3.5 million Malians,” said Eric Mamboué, Oxfam Country Director in Mali. “While Oxfam continues to work alongside others to tackle this crisis, dealing with the urgent nutritional needs of the Malian population must remain a top priority for all actors in the country, and access to desperately needed humanitarian assistance must be ensured”. 

Some 13 million people in the Sahel are facing a major food crisis in 2012 as poor rains and locust attacks led to a drop in cereal production of 25%, while in some regions such as Gao in northern Mali prices of food remain over 70% higher than the five year average.

Reaching 17 million additional people is the equivalent to feeding every person in Michigan, Oklahoma and Iowa combined. Cutting red tape would also allow the U.S. to respond to hunger crises up to 14 weeks faster.

“How often do we have the chance to reach millions more people with life-saving assistance without asking taxpayers for a dime?” said Paul O’Brien, vice president for policy and campaigns at Oxfam America. “Save lives. Save tax dollars. This is a no-brainer.”

"Our one-size-fits-all food aid system is outdated, but Congress has the opportunity to fix it with this year's farm bill reauthorization," said Timi Gerson, director of advocacy at AJWS. "Our research shows we can reach millions more hungry people by passing long overdue reforms, so why wait?"

The report puts a human face on the negotiations over the Farm Bill in Washington, DC, calculating the number of additional people U.S. food aid programs could reach if long-overdue reforms are enacted. This includes increasing flexibility in food aid programs to allow for the local and regional purchase (LRP) of food, as well as ending the monetization of U.S. food aid programs whereby aid agencies are forced to sell off U.S. food in developing country markets to finance development projects.

The report finds that these reforms would allow food to reach millions more hungry people much quicker during crises and build self-sufficiency in local communities. It also finds that even conservative approaches to these reforms would cut hundreds of millions of dollars in waste and enable life-saving aid to reach millions of additional people facing crisis.

"Food aid is a vital part of U.S. foreign policy, but we are shortchanging millions of hungry people with unnecessary red tape," said Gerson. "U.S. policies are ripe for reforms that will save lives now and reduce the need for aid later by enabling local farmers to thrive."

“In this budget climate there can be no justification for turning down the chance to spend tax-dollars more wisely,” said O’Brien. “Members of Congress face a clear choice: stick with the same old policies that prop up special interest, or reform the program and stand up for American taxpayers and hungry people around the world.”

Notes to editors:
To read a copy of the report, see the infographic or get more information go to:
www.oxfamamerica.org/foodaid
or
www.ajws.org/foodaid

American Jewish World Service
Inspired by Judaism’s commitment to justice, American Jewish World Service (AJWS) works to realize
human rights and end poverty in the developing world. www.ajws.org

Oxfam America
Oxfam America is an international relief and development organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and injustice. Together with individuals and local groups in more than 90 countries, Oxfam saves lives, helps people overcome poverty, and fights for social justice. Oxfam America is an affiliate of Oxfam. To join our efforts or learn more, go to www.oxfamamerica.org

“We are honored to have the support of the Harry Potter Alliance and excited to reach a new audience of young people who are energetic and engaged in the fight against hunger and injustice,” said Vicky Rateau, Campaign Manager for Oxfam’s GROW Campaign. “If we can channel even a fraction of the excitement and enthusiasm about the launch of The Hunger Games towards support for practical and concrete steps to tackle hunger, great things are possible.”

“Working with Oxfam is a fantastic opportunity to reach an even wider audience and partner with an organization that truly understands the challenges surrounding hunger across the globe,” said Andrew Slack, Executive Director of the Harry Potter Alliance. “The GROW campaign gives our members a chance to really make a difference in their communities by putting emphasis on an issue that can effect anyone from their neighbor down the street to a child tens of thousands of miles away.”

Supporters of the Harry Potter Alliance will kick-off the partnership by gathering signatures for the GROW campaign’s petition to reform food aid in the US Farm Bill. Volunteers will attend hundreds of screenings of The Hunger Games across the country. Using the hashtag #notagame, the groups will engage supporters online with a broad social media campaign to raise awareness and gather pledges of support for the GROW campaign’s agenda. At the movie releases HPA members will build support for the GROW campaign and collect food for food banks in their local communities.

”Our members know that change isn’t easy and it requires helping others to understand what’s at the root of the problem. The GROW petition does just that,” said Slack. “Together they are taking action by not only gathering food for those in their neighborhoods, but educating their communities on hunger around the world.”

“This isn’t your grandmother’s hunger campaign, we won’t be asking for your money,” said Rateau. “Every action we mobilize both on and offline will help us convince our leaders that reforming food aid is important to people across this country. If we are going to meet the challenge of feeding 9 billion people by 2050 without breaking the planet, we’ll need a movement of engaged activists.”

The Hunger Games opens in theaters across the country on March 23rd.

Oxfam America is an international relief and development organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and injustice. Together with individuals and local groups in more than 90 countries, Oxfam saves lives, helps people overcome poverty, and fights for social justice. Oxfam America is an affiliate of Oxfam. To join our efforts or learn more, go to www.oxfamamerica.org/grow

The HP Alliance (www.thehpalliance.org) is a 501c3 nonprofit that engages Harry Potter fans in social activism. With over 70 active chapters and 40 volunteer staff, the HPA has donated five cargo planes of supplies to Haiti, 55,000 books, protection for thousands in Darfur, and made huge strides in anti-genocide, LGBT, and media reform advocacy, and more. Covered in hundreds of major publications and praised by JK Rowling, Harry Potter celebrities, Paul Farmer, and a slew of NGO’s, the HPA recently came in first place in the Chase Bank Community Giving Contest on Facebook winning $250,000.

For more information about the “Hunger is Not a Game” campaign visit:
http://thehpalliance.org/imagine-better/hunger-is-not-a-game/

Boldin and Fitzgerald will embark on a four-day trip across Ethiopia beginning March 27.  The duo will meet with villagers affected by the crisis, local Oxfam partner organizations and internationally known Ethiopian athletes to bring attention to the region.  They will also visit Oxfam programs in the field such as an irrigation project that brings water to much needed areas.

“Four months after Larry and I issued a public service announcement with Oxfam, we are excited to meet face-to-face with those affected by the food crisis in Ethiopia and witness some of the life-saving programs Oxfam is undertaking in the field,” said Boldin.

This is the second time in four months the players, who are widely known for off-the-field contributions to communities in need, have joined Oxfam to fight hunger in East Africa. In November, the Oxfam ambassadors released a thirty second public service announcement to spotlight the growing need for relief funds.

“We are traveling with Oxfam to see first-hand how communities are affected and how we can help,” said Fitzgerald. “By bringing further attention to the drought, we hope to energize our fans and the public to do what they can to assist.”

The United Nations officially recognized the disaster affecting over 13 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia in July 2011. Oxfam, in collaboration with local partner organizations, aims to reach over 3 million people affected by the crisis across the region with aid and sustainable development programs.

“We are grateful for the personal engagement of Mr. Boldin and Mr. Fitzgerald,” said Raymond C. Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America. “Continuing to raise public awareness of the food crisis in East Africa remains critical with emergency conditions expected to last well into 2012.  It’s a great opportunity to highlight what local communities are doing for themselves, and how Oxfam, and our supporters, can help.”

East Africa drought and food crisis: Donate now and help save lives.

“As we approach the two year anniversary of the largest oil spill in our nation’s history, we continue to lament the lost jobs, damaged wetlands, and struggling fisheries that so many communities face in the Gulf as a result of the impacts of this tragedy,” said Ray Offenheiser, President of Oxfam America.  “Congratulations to Senators Landrieu, Nelson and Shelby along with Senator Boxer and the Gulf region Senators who championed this effort to ensure that that the people and the ecosystems of the Gulf are made whole again.”

The legislation will ensure that penalties paid by BP and others responsible for last year’s Gulf oil disaster are used to rebuild the economies of Gulf Coast communities that were impacted by the spill and to restore the ecosystems and fisheries so many depend on for their livelihoods and to protect their communities. Oxfam America has been working with Congress to ensure the bill helps impacted workers access job and training opportunities in these projects, so struggling low income families can find good paying jobs restoring the coast.

“In any disaster, socially vulnerable communities stand to suffer the most. The oil spill was no different. The RESTORE Act has the potential to lift up those communities, revitalize the region economically, and do so in a way that is environmentally sustainable,” said Offenheiser.  “We are heartened that the Senate has recognized the tremendous opportunity that these funds will have both in the region and to the American economy.”

The Gulf region and its environment support some of this country’s most vital industries—from shipping to energy to seafood—and its restoration could spur new opportunities. A joint report by Oxfam America and the Center for American Progress found the state of Louisiana alone projects 45,000 jobs would be generated from coastal restoration and protection projects over the next twenty years. A Duke University released a study in December showing that the RESTORE Act could create jobs that would benefit at least 140 businesses across the country with nearly 400 employee locations in 37 states.

In parts of Chad, some villagers have been reduced to pounding ant hills to gather grain the ants have stored. They say unless they get help, they will have to abandon their villages in a month’s time.

“Millions of people are on the threshold of a major crisis. All signs point to a drought becoming a catastrophe if nothing is done soon. The world cannot allow this to happen. A concerted aid effort is needed to stop tens of thousands dying due to international complacency,” said Mamadou Biteye, Oxfam Regional Director for West Africa.

“We witnessed last year the situation spiraling out of control in East Africa as the aid community failed to act swiftly. The worst can be avoided and thousands of lives will be saved if we act now. It’s that simple.”

Oxfam said that a lethal mix of drought, high food prices, entrenched poverty, and regional conflict is behind the crisis.

Across the region, food prices are higher by an average of 25 to 50 percent compared with the last five years’ average. Prices could increase by another 25 to 30 percent by the peak of the hunger season in July and August, putting the most vulnerable families at increased risk of malnutrition.

The hunger season has started early in the Tillabery region in western Niger. Communities are seeing their food stocks dwindle and their debts pile up. Families are migrating to the cities in search of food and jobs. Some 33,000 children have dropped out of school, according to government’s figures, as they follow their parents.
 
Erratic rains caused a poor harvest especially in Niger, Chad, Mauritania, Mali, and Burkina Faso. Added to this, people have had little time to recover from the food crisis of 2010. People have been hit by an increase in the frequency and severity of food crises in the Sahel region in the last decade.
 
In Mauritania, 700,000 people, nearly a quarter of all families, have difficulty meeting their daily food needs. In Chad, 3.5 million people, more than 30 percent of the population, are food insecure. In parts of Senegal, there has also been an increase in its population facing food insecurity.
 
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, agricultural production in the region is down 25 percent from 2010. The grain harvest is down by 1.4 million tons (metric tons) for the six Sahel countries. The most affected country is Mauritania, with a 52 percent drop in crop production from last year, while Chad’s food production is down by 50 percent and Niger’s is 27 percent.
 
Although harvests in neighboring food exporting countries such as Nigeria, Benin, and Ghana have been reasonable, it is unlikely surpluses will be able to fill the food needs in the Sahel. Security, the capacity of traders and the introduction of trade restrictions in several countries have also been disrupting the flow of food. Currently, food aid bought locally is 15 to 20 percent cheaper than on the international market but with high prices and uncertainty of supply the costs of supplying food will be much higher than it was in the 2010 food crisis.
 
The conflict in Northern Mali has also forced 160,000 to flee their homes with more than half of them escaping to neighboring countries of Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mauritania. Violence in Nigeria has also caused a drop in the volume of grains entering Niger and Chad.

Oxfam said that, with the next harvests not due until October, a concerted aid effort is needed. The UN estimates that $724 million is needed to address current needs, an amount that could rise as the crisis progresses. While some rich countries have started to donate, the European Union in particular donating generously and early, more than half of the amount is still needed.
 
Oxfam needs to raise $37 million to meet the needs of around one million people it plans to help across the Sahel region with vital aid such as food, cash, support to livestock, water, sanitation, and hygiene promotion campaigns.

While the law would help stem corruption in resource rich countries, the American Petroleum Institute (API) and its oil company members, such as Chevron, ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips, are fighting implementation of the provision by the SEC, even threatening to sue the regulatory agency, unless it withdraws its proposal and starts from scratch.

“The SEC has a strong mandate from Congress to follow the letter of the law and should not cave into those who don’t want to.” said Ian Gary, senior policy manager of Oxfam America’s oil, gas and mining program. “We are heartened to see so many people standing up to big oil, demanding companies open their books and stop hiding secret payments to local governments.”

Powerful political figures are also weighing in. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton expressed her strong support last week for the provision during a Senate hearing, saying the SEC should “go as far as possible” to implement the law. “I hope the regulations expected from the SEC reflect the clear intent of the law,” she said. “I think our own government…should be as forward-leaning as possible in giving full weight to what the intent was behind the legislation.”

Many prominent legislators and appropriators, including Senators John Kerry, Charles Schumer, Ben Cardin, Leahy and Rep. Barney Frank are also ramping up pressure. The Senators submitted a letter to the SEC on January 31st followed by a similar letter by fourteen senior members of the House of Representatives on Feb. 14, urging the SEC to “resist” pressure from oil companies and “promptly” release a strong effective final rule.

“We urge the SEC and oil industry to pay close attention to the House and Senate letters and issue a strong final rule quickly,” said Gary. “We’re watching and ready to fight back if the SEC issues weak final rules.” 

Though transparency supporters will deliver the online petitions to the American Petroleum Institute, ExxonMobil, Chevron and ConocoPhilips today, citizens will still be able to join Oxfam America’s e-action campaign.

“It’s great to see this issue resonating so well with the public. This was our most popular action in the last year,” said Gary. ”The SEC and oil industry should pay close attention to the growing momentum for strong final rules and the ‘votes for transparency’ our petition received.”

Major voices in the financial press have also weighed in the last two weeks. London’s Financial Times said in an editorial on Feb. 27 that “oil companies are wrong to resist publication of payments” and that “lobbying efforts aimed at overturning this progress should not be allowed to succeed.” The Economist in its Feb. 25 edition said that if oil companies go to court to block the SEC final rule it could “become a public relations disaster.”

Oxfam America kicked off its campaign a month ago in Washington, DC in front of the SEC, where activists depicted the oil and gas industry and the SEC in bed together. The activists then headed to Houston, Texas where they gathered in front of the Chevron Building downtown to demonstrate the yawning gap between the transparency rhetoric of the industry and the reality of their actions, which has never been more apparent until now.

To coincide with these activities, Oxfam America and a number of organizations supported a six-figure advertising campaign calling on the oil industry to stop fighting transparency. The ads ran online in the Washington Post, Politico, Huffington Post and The Hill and in print in the Wall Street Journal.

In Boston women are innovators in building a better food system that provides healthy and sustainable choices.  Celebrate women’s achievements here and worldwide in changing the way we grow, eat, and share food so that everyone has enough to eat, always at a panel and dinner event this Saturday, March 10 at 6 PM at Northeastern University. Panelists include Anna Oloshuro Kalaita, Masaai farmer from Tanzania; Ashley Stanley, Founder, Lovin’ Spoonfuls Inc., Boston; Molly Anderson, College of the Atlantic, Partridge Chair in Food & Sustainable Agriculture Systems; Melanie Hardy, Farm Manager, Land’s Sake Farm, Weston; Keely Curliss, Youth Intern, The Food Project, Boston.  The panel will be moderated by Jennifer Hashley, Director, New Entry Sustainable Farming Project, Tufts University.  To RSVP contact hdasilva@oxfamamerica.org.

“Hunger and poverty affect women and men alike, but because women make up the majority of those living below the poverty line, they carry the heaviest burdens,” said Nancy Delaney, community engagement manager at Oxfam America. “While most of us think of hunger as lack of food, it is actually lack of power. We grow enough food to feed everyone, yet hundreds of millions of women continue to go hungry.”

Women produce a majority of the food in many developing countries, but they are often first to go hungry. Around the world 925 million people do not have enough food to eat, and women and young children are especially vulnerable.

In many poor countries, women are the ones who collect food, water and fuel, maintain the home and look after the children. When food is scarce, women often eat less so other family members can have enough. Most of these rural women rely on farming to earn a living. But although women produce most of the world’s food, they often lack access to vital resources, like a steady source of water or a market where they can sell their crops for a fair price. Climate change poses an added threat, with erratic rainfall and droughts that disrupt the growing season and risk further hunger. Meanwhile, women have fewer opportunities to learn new skills, access credit or find well paying jobs. Sixty six percent of the world’s nearly 800 million illiterate adults are women.

“Human rights are not contingent on gender, ethnicity or money in the bank,” said Delaney. “Human rights are fundamental and non-negotiable. In a world where there is still plenty of food, no one should go hungry no matter who she is and where she lives.”