All Publications http://www.oxfamamerica.org These are the search results for the query, showing results 321 to 335. OXFAMExchange Spring 2008 http://www.oxfamamerica.org/publications/spring-2008 Raising a generation without fear The global food crisis is new and very real, but the seeds were planted long ago. Oxfam has long spoken out against poor policy decisions—like farm subsidies in wealthy countries and misguided trade policies—that have undermined small farmers in the developing world and have made a fertile ground for today's crisis. Yet the situation is far from hopeless. The global community must act swiftly. Unfortunately—as we've seen in other crises—that does not always happen. For example, this issue of OXFAMExchange features the humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has been going on for over a decade. Increasingly Oxfam is a harbinger of such avoidable crises. We need your help in speaking out. Through effective advocacy, we can prevent unnecessary suffering. Together, we have the ability to influence our futures.

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]]> No publisher mborum Ghana oil, gas and mining equality for women Central America global food crisis El Salvador humanitarian relief Democratic Republic of Congo 2009-06-15T18:28:22Z Oxfam Exchange Oxfam in Southern Africa http://www.oxfamamerica.org/publications/oxfam-in-southern-africa Having fought hard for freedom from colonial and racial oppression, millions of rural poor across southern Africa, particularly women, still struggle to overcome social and economic inequality, natural disasters, and disease. They continue to fight for their rights. Oxfam America supports the efforts of people in South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe to overcome poverty and marginalization. The inequitable distribution of resources, gender inequality, HIV/AIDS, climatic change, and political instability all contribute to poverty in the region. Except for South Africa, where 52 percent of the population lives in urban areas, 70 percent of the regional population lives in rural areas under poor social and economic conditions.

]]> No publisher Oxfam America HIV-AIDS Mozambique South Africa Southern Africa Zimbabwe climate change equality for women 2009-06-24T19:36:53Z Brochure "Foreign Assistance Reform in the Next Administration: Challenges and Solutions" http://www.oxfamamerica.org/publications/foreign-assistance-reform-in-the-next-administration-challenges-and-solutions This is a transcript of testimony given by Oxfam America president Raymond C. Offenheiser before Congress on April 23, 2008.

]]> No publisher mborum 2009-06-08T16:03:37Z Briefing Paper Corporate Social Responsibility in the Mining Sector in Peru http://www.oxfamamerica.org/publications/corporate-social-responsibility-in-the-mining-sector-in-peru Investment in mining is increasing in Peru. In order for mining to promote sustainable development among the poorest communities near mining concessions, the government must have clear policies to redistribute revenues to benefit local communities, an organized and responsible civil society must be involved in important decisions about policies, and mining companies must operate in responsible ways.

This report explores the basic concepts of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and explores key social issues the mining industry must face in Peru. It includes a summary of the main national and international regulations, standards, and guidelines that will help Peru’s mining sector implement essential aspects of a good CSR program.

The report also recommends that the government, mining industry, and civil society jointly develop reference guides for employment, land acquisition and voluntary resettlement, public consultation, participatory monitoring, and social investments.

Corporate Social Responsibility in the Mining Sector in Peru seeks to take a first step towards meaningful dialogue about CSR among the different actors involved to help civil society obtain the highest benefits from CSR policies and actions implemented by government and corporations.

]]> No publisher mborum South America corporate social responsibility oil, gas and mining Peru 2009-04-30T22:38:39Z Research Report Annual Report 2007 http://www.oxfamamerica.org/whoweare/financial-information/annual-reports/annual-report-2007 Oxfam America's financial results for the year continued to build upon the successes of prior years and have positioned us well for future growth of our program activities and fulfillment of our mission. In 2007, unrestricted contributions grew 15 percent to $36.5 million from $31.7 million in 2006. Total net assets grew by $9.9 million in 2007. Total expenses grew in 2007 by $5.6 million. For the year, program-related expenses represented 80 percent of our total expenses. Oxfam America's financial results for 2007 continued to build upon the successes of prior years and have positioned us well for future growth of our program activities and fulfillment of our mission. In 2007, unrestricted contributions grew 15 percent to $36.5 million from $31.7 million in 2006. Notable restricted contributions in 2007 include $7.4 million related to our work in the US Gulf Coast and $14.7 million for the Campaign for Oxfam America. Through the end of fiscal year 2007, we have recorded over $31.2 million in contributions directly attributable to the Campaign for Oxfam America.

Total net assets grew by $9.9 million in 2007 primarily as a result of $8.0 million of Campaign for Oxfam America contributions received for expenditure in future years, $5.3 million of Gulf Coast relief and rehabilitation program contributions, and increases in unrestricted net assets of $4.3 million. These increases were offset by a net expenditure in 2007 of $7.6 million in humanitarian funds raised in prior years.

Total expenses in 2007 grew by $5.6 million, or 11 percent, when compared with 2006. Program services-related expenses grew $5.0 million, of which $4.6 million was related to regional development programs and $1.4 million was related to increases in our policy and advocacy programs. The program-related increases were offset by a $1 million decrease in humanitarian related expenses, reflecting the net effect of the winding down of our South Asia tsunami relief program. For the year, program-related expenses represented 80 percent of our total expenses.

In 2007, support services grew 6 percent as we continued to make a number of strategic investments in key areas. Over the last two years, we have invested over $2 million in a number of technologies, including connectivity between regional and US-based offices to improve both the effectiveness and efficiency of our work as well as to help reduce our carbon footprint. In 2007, we also made strategic investments in our human resource function and implemented a new constituent relationship management system that will improve outreach to our supporters and donors.

Our strategy of investing first in programs and second in critical support services while ensuring financial stability, continues to receive the endorsement of independent rating agencies. More important, our continued growth in contributions and in the number of supporters represents our most important endorsement—that of our donors.

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]]> No publisher michael 2009-06-15T18:31:06Z Annual Report Perceptions of Poverty from the "Poor," Conceptions of Poverty from the "Poor" http://www.oxfamamerica.org/publications/perceptions-of-poverty-from-the-poor-conceptions-of-poverty-from-the-poor This executive summary presents the broader lessons from APPPA's findings and documents a sample of the vast selection of personal understandings of poverty from people living in Afghanistan. By providing these first-hand perspectives, the APPPA aims to contribute to increasingly relevant, effective poverty reduction projects. With support from Oxfam and a number of other organizations, the Afghanistan Pilot Project Poverty Assessment (APPPA) aimed to collect and document the perspectives of the "poor"—in relation to poverty—for the formulation of the Afghanistan National Development Strategy. The APPPA also aimed to disseminate and advocate the "voices of the poor" more broadly throughout the development community in Afghanistan.

This executive summary presents the broader lessons from APPPA's findings and documents a sample of the vast selection of personal understandings of poverty from people living in Afghanistan. By providing these first-hand perspectives, the APPPA aims to contribute to increasingly relevant, effective poverty reduction projects.

]]> No publisher mborum 2009-06-30T21:43:58Z Research Report Adaptation 101 http://www.oxfamamerica.org/publications/adaptation-101 How climate change hurts poor communities—and how we can help Over the course of hundreds of years, poor people have developed ways of coping with changing weather conditions. When torrential rains drench the flood plains surrounding the Mekong River, rice farmers turn to fishing instead. When rainfall levels fall in the Sahel, farmers cultivate drought-resistant crops like millet and black-eyed peas. And where water is always hard to come by in the dry, mountainous areas of the Middle East, local people use traditional, though labor-intensive, techniques to harvest water from the canyons, valleys, and slopes.

Each season is slightly different than the previous one, but having anticipated the changing conditions, generation after generation learns to adapt.

But what happens when the seasons become less predictable and the conditions more difficult to manage? What happens when human activities, like burning coal, oil, and natural gas, change the climate—not just for a season, but for the long-term? Then, lacking the information or resources necessary to understand, prepare for, and respond to increased hazards, many of the world's poorest communities experience unprecedented stress.

]]> No publisher mborum climate change environment equality for women 2011-06-08T14:59:13Z Briefing Paper Oxfam at a glance: Saving lives http://www.oxfamamerica.org/publications/oxfam-at-a-glance-saving-lives In an emergency, Oxfam’s objective is to save lives. In the long term, disasters and the way we respond to them can provide opportunities for social change—chances to create lasting solutions to poverty and injustice.

]]> No publisher Oxfam America 2009-10-14T23:19:51Z Brochure Oxfam Impact April 2008 http://www.oxfamamerica.org/publications/oxfam-impact-april-2008 Where the ground remembers the rain For poor communities in Zacatecoluca, El Salvador, a severe tropical storm in 2007 brought floods and contaminated drinking water. Now, thanks to disaster risk reduction work by Oxfam America and partner organizations, people in this region are better able to weather the storms.

]]> No publisher mborum Central America El Salvador humanitarian relief natural disaster water 2009-03-25T20:26:15Z Oxfam Impact Golden Rules http://www.oxfamamerica.org/publications/golden-rules Around the world, large-scale metals mining takes an enormous toll on the health of the environment and communities. Gold mining, in particular, is one of the dirtiest industries in the world. Around the world, large-scale metals mining takes an enormous toll on the health of the environment and communities. Gold mining, in particular, is one of the dirtiest industries in the world. Massive open-pit mines, some measuring as much as two miles (3.2 kilometers) across, generate staggering quantities of waste—an average of 76 tons for every ounce of gold.

In the US, metals mining is the leading contributor of toxic emissions to the environment. And in countries such as Ghana, Romania, and the Philippines, mining has also been associated with human rights violations, the displacement of people from their homes, and the disruption of traditional livelihoods.

]]> No publisher mborum 2009-06-30T21:58:58Z Research Report Falling Short http://www.oxfamamerica.org/publications/falling-short The prospects for peace in Afghanistan are being undermined because Western countries are failing to deliver on their promises of aid to the tune of $10 billion and because aid going to the country is used ineffectively, according to this report by ACBAR, an alliance international aid agencies--including Oxfam--working in Afghanistan. The prospects for peace in Afghanistan are being undermined because Western countries are failing to deliver on their promises of aid to the tune of $10 billion and because aid going to the country is used ineffectively, according to this report by ACBAR, an alliance of international aid agencies—including Oxfam—working in Afghanistan.

The international community has pledged $25 billion to Afghanistan since 2001 but has only delivered $15 billion. The US is the biggest donor to Afghanistan but also has one of the biggest shortfalls—according to the Afghan government between 2002 and 2008 the US only delivered half of its $10.4 billion commitment.

The same sources show that over this period the European Community and Germany distributed less than two-thirds of their respective $1.7 and $1.2 billion commitments, and the World Bank has distributed just over half of its $1.6 billion commitment. The UK pledged $1.45 billion and distributed $1.3 billion.

An estimated 40 percent of the money spent has returned to rich donor countries such as the US through corporate profits, consultant salaries and other costs, vastly pushing up expenditure. For example, a road between the center of Kabul and the international airport cost the US over $3.7 million per mile, at least four times the average cost of building a road in Afghanistan.

Around 90 percent of all public spending in Afghanistan comes from international aid, so the massive shortfall hinders efforts to rebuild infrastructure damaged by over two decades of war and to ensure the widespread delivery of essential services such as education and health.

The report says a level of donor under-spending can be expected because of the lack of Afghan government capacity, large-scale corruption and challenging security conditions. But the size of the shortfall highlights the importance of donors making concerted efforts to address these issues.

The report also shows that a disproportionate amount of aid follows the conflict and is being used for political and military objectives rather than reducing poverty.

]]> No publisher mborum 2009-06-30T21:44:59Z Research Report In Her Own Words http://www.oxfamamerica.org/publications/in-her-own-words Iraqi women talk about their greatest concerns and challenges. The plight of women in Iraq today has gone largely ignored, both within Iraqi society and by the international community. For more than five years, headlines have been dominated by political and social turmoil, the chaos of conflict and widespread violence. This has overshadowed the abysmal state of the civilian population's day-to-day lives, a result of that very turmoil and violence.

The specific hardships that some of Iraq's most vulnerable individuals cope with on a daily basis, as told by them, have overwhelmingly gone unheard.

Oxfam and the Al-Amal Association, the Iraqi partner organization that conducted the survey in the five provinces of Baghdad, Basra, Kirkuk, Najaf and Nineveh, do not claim that the information they gathered from 1,700 respondents represents the situation facing all Iraqis, or even all women in Iraq. However, it does provide a disturbing snapshot of many women's lives and those of their children and other family members. The information presented in this paper was collected over a period of several months, starting in the summer of 2008.

]]> No publisher mborum Iraq Middle East equality for women women 2009-05-29T20:37:53Z Briefing Paper Community Peacebuilding in Afghanistan http://www.oxfamamerica.org/publications/community-peacebuilding-in-afghanistan A case for a national strategy Peace work at a community level strengthens community cohesion, reduces violence, and enhances resistance to militants. It is an essential and complementary part of a wider strategy to secure a lasting national peace, including concerted measures to promote better governance; rural development; and the professionalisation of police and security forces. In Afghanistan, a national strategy for community peacebuilding is already five years too late: with increasing levels of violence, there is no time to lose.

]]> No publisher mborum Afghanistan Central and South Asia humanitarian relief 2009-05-28T23:28:12Z Research Report OXFAMExchange Winter 2008 http://www.oxfamamerica.org/publications/winter-2008 Hard Questions about Ghana's Gold Boom 2008 marks the launch of Oxfam America's work on climate change. In this issue of OXFAMExchange, learn about the vital role Oxfam has to play in this important area. Amid critical discussions of environmental risks, it is our responsibility to ensure that decision makers recognize that the world's poor people will bear the brunt of climate change—a cruel irony given that they have done comparatively little to contribute to the problem. Whether it is a discussion of strained natural resources in Darfur, the impact of gold mining in Ghana, or flooding in Cambodia, our on-the-ground experience has taught us that economic and environmental injustice go hand in hand.

In addition to details about Oxfam's work on climate change, you will also find deeper perspective on our ongoing work in Ghana focused on mining, an update on life in Darfur as the crisis continues with no end yet in sight, and a success story about a multicultural approach to fighting poverty in the mountains of Peru.

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]]> No publisher mborum Ghana oil, gas and mining natural resources West Africa 2009-04-30T21:39:16Z Oxfam Exchange Take Action: Fight for Climate Justice http://www.oxfamamerica.org/publications/take-action-fight-for-climate-justice We've all seen the images on the evening news: the droughts, floods, hunger, and disease. Decades of greenhouse gas emissions have finally caught up with our climate—and it's the poorest among us who are worst affected. Over the past 30 years, the Turkana people of northwest Kenya have experienced a 25 percent average decrease in annual rainfall. In the former Soviet states of central Asia, countries like Tajikistan have experienced extreme drought, paradoxically coupled with floods and landslides. And in Bangladesh, where scientists have warned that a rise in sea level may flood 20 percent of their land, typhoons and floods have already increased in severity.

The outlook is frightening. But maybe that's why climate change is finally getting the attention it deserves.

Oxfam America has a long history of supporting vulnerable communities through our disaster preparedness and livelihoods work. Now, we are joining the worldwide movement to use political action to stabilize our planet's rising temperature. Our contribution? We'll put the needs of poor people first.

]]> No publisher mborum climate change 2009-06-09T21:10:16Z Campaign Publication