"We applaud the Members of the House of Representatives who did the right thing and voted for this historic bill that takes a major step toward addressing global warming emissions and adaptation to climate change.

"While there are troubling shortcomings in the bill, it begins the critical process of putting us on a clean energy pathway here and around the world, and finally addresses the immediate needs of vulnerable communities everywhere who are being hit first and worst by the negative impacts of climate change. The bill is also a critical first step toward reasserting US leadership and building credibility to negotiate a global climate change agreement in Copenhagen.

"Thanks to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Chairmen Waxman, Markey, Rangel and many others, this bill begins to give the US some credibility at the international negotiating table.

"As Representative McGovern stated in his floor statement, 'Devoting portions of revenues from a cap and trade system to investments in international adaptation to those countries most vulnerable is a clear signal to the world that the US is ready to lead in combating global climate change.'

"The world will now watch as the debate shifts to the Senate. Oxfam America looks forward to working with Senators to strengthen this bill further.

"Doing so would help create the kinds of business and job opportunities critically needed to build a greener and more sustainable US economy. Doing so would strengthen our national security, save lives and build more secure livelihoods for vulnerable communities facing droughts, food shortages, flooding, health risks and other disastrous consequences from global warming."

At least 30 people have been killed in recent weeks in violent confrontations between indigenous protestors and police. The overturn of these decrees now sets the stage for dialogue. Shortly after congress rescinded them, President Alan Garcia delivered a speech in which he said that his government should have included indigenous people in discussions about the decrees before he issued them.

The government of Peru is now initiating a commission to start a dialogue with indigenous people, and will include Oxfam's partner AIDESEP, which represents a highly diverse group of indigenous organizations from all over the Amazon region.

"Oxfam hopes this dialogue initiative will be an important first step toward lasting solutions based on indigenous peoples rights and ensuring strong environmental regulation of extractive activities in the Amazon," said Frank Boeren, Oxfam America's Deputy Director in South America.

Much has been written about the relationship between African-Americans and Latinos and the tensions that arose when they were forced to compete for the same limited resources in a post-Katrina New Orleans. But little is known about what the two groups have in common—and how those shared experiences, attitudes, and goals could bring them together to help rebuild their community.

In late 2008, Oxfam America commissioned Bright Moments, who subcontracted with Dr. Silas Lee & Associates, to conduct a survey of the racial attitudes of African-Americans and Latinos living in New Orleans. "Building Common Ground" is a summary of those findings. The purpose of the survey was to measure how African-Americans and Latinos rated the quality of their lives, race relations with each other, experiences with discrimination, perceptions of each other, support for an African-American and Latino alliance, and effective strategies for such alliances.

The results reveal that the majority of African-Americans and Latinos agreed that they face similar issues of discrimination3 and agreed that it's important for their two groups to put aside their differences and work on overcoming those issues. It is on this common ground that we seek to build.

This publication is available in English and Spanish.

The new study, Building Common Ground, reveals vast similarities in the post-Katrina experiences of two groups often considered separately in discussions on hurricane recovery and rebuilding. While the study revealed many of the tensions and misconceptions that existed between the two groups, it demonstrated that there is very fertile ground upon which African Americans and Latinos can forge new relationships to combat some of the challenges they face together.

The results of the study will be presented Tuesday at 6 pm at Xavier University and will be followed by a panel discussion. Lydia Camarillo, Vice President of Southwest Voter Registration Education Project will deliver a keynote address following opening remarks from Xavier University president Dr. Norman Francis. Members of the panel include:

• Keron Blair, Interfaith Worker Justice
• Lucas Diaz, Puentes, Inc.
• Denis Soreano, New Orleans Worker Center For Racial Justice
• Saru Jayaraman, Restaurant Opportunity Center United, and
• Barbara Major, Citizens United for Economic Equity.

In one key finding, 83 percent of African Americans and 86 percent of Latinos said building alliances are important to achieving social and economic equity in New Orleans.

"Too often we talk about tensions between African-Americans and Latinos," said Ilana Scherl, Gulf Coast Field Representative for Oxfam America. "This study demonstrates that African Americans and Latinos face common challenges which limit their opportunities to succeed in society."

The study's results were driven from a survey conducted in late 2008 by Dr. Silas Lee & Associates of African Americans and Latinos living in New Orleans. Hundreds of residents were interviewed and participated in focus groups to gauge the issues and concerns affecting these communities.

The study found striking similarities, including:

• A majority of African Americans (56 percent) and Latinos (88 percent) said their communications and language skills were a major factor in the discrimination they face;
• A majority of African Americans (66 percent) and Latinos (59 percent) identified "access to decent affordable housing" as a major problem;
• Likewise, majorities of both African Americans (69 percent) and Latinos (60 percent) also identified "receiving fair treatment in the criminal justice system" as a major problem.

The report also identified some of the obstacles and opportunities for working together on the issues both groups experience:

• Language differences and a general lack of social interaction were identified as major barriers to creating alliances for social change in New Orleans;
• Both African Americans (60 percent) and Latinos (63 percent) said a lack of trust between the two groups was also a very major barrier to those alliance;
• Yet both groups agreed that the issue of job opportunities in New Orleans is very important, and worth working together to overcome, in fact, 88 percent of African Americans and 77 percent of Latinos said they strongly agreed that the groups can put aside their differences and work together on jobs.

Most importantly, both groups recognized the importance of working together on common issues, with one focus group participant saying "We have to be here, and we have to get along. How can we start the dialogue?"

"This survey goes a long way to deconstructing some of the myths that have sprung up after Katrina," said Dr. Silas Lee. "Contrary to popular belief, significant percentages of both African Americans and Latinos not only believe that the two groups can and should work together, but are willing to take steps to continue to the process of recovery together now."

"Building Common Ground: How shared attitudes and concerns can create alliances between African Americans and Latinos in a post-Katrina New Orleans," was published by Oxfam America. Read the full text of the report and detailed results of the survey.

The bill is historic as it commits to curbing global warming pollution, puts our nation and others on a clean energy development pathway, and addresses and finances the needs of vulnerable communities both at home and abroad who are on the front lines of climate change.

"Getting the Waxman-Markey bill out of the Energy and Commerce Committee is a history-making effort in enacting US climate and clean energy legislation," said Jim Lyons, vice-president of Oxfam America. "But while this bill is a giant leap in US climate change legislation, it is too small of a step towards what's needed for a global climate deal in Copenhagen this December."

Last minute attempts to eliminate important international provisions in the bill were rejected. If passed, these amendments would have seriously undermined the United States' leadership role in the international climate negotiations and would have shortchanged significant business opportunities abroad for America companies.

"Poor countries didn't create the problem, but they have to deal with the consequences. It's in America's best interest to help the most vulnerable adapt to global warming's consequences and cooperate with them to pursue clean energy pathways," said Lyons.

"Developing countries have made it crystal clear that without real cooperation and resources, there won't be a global climate deal," said Lyons. "A substantial increase in resources for the most vulnerable countries will be essential for the President to strike a global climate deal."

"This bill is yet another important step in Chairman Berman's effort to fundamentally reform the way the US fights global poverty," said Raymond C. Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America. "Much important work still remains to be done to reform US policies and programs for global development. However, this bill moves us forward along the path to. reform."

H.R. 2410 would expand the number of Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) at both the Department of State and USAID, providing the US government with increased human capital to meet global challenges. The bill specifically includes authority for the Secretary of State to hire 1,500 FSOs and for the Administrator of USAID to hire 700 new FSOs over the next two years. Additionally, the bill includes authorities to make it easier to attract and retain personnel with the specialized skills required for supporting long-term poverty fighting efforts.

Oxfam America is also very pleased that the investment to modernize the Foreign Service includes a focus on using diplomacy to actively prevent, mitigate, and respond to international crises in a timely manner.

"An additional 1,500 State Department recruits, equipped with adequate training and a focused mandate, could go a long way in improving US diplomacy to address humanitarian crises," said Offenheiser.

To this end, the bill also requires the US government to outline a specific plan for the development of a government-wide strategy and the strengthening of United States civilian capacities for preventing genocide and mass atrocities.

"For too long the United States has responded to situations of mass atrocities in ad hoc and uncoordinated ways. Unless the US civilian agencies plan for contingencies and build capacity, our moral outrage will never be translated into effective action," said Offenheiser.

Oxfam America welcomes Chairman Berman's efforts, and calls upon Members of Congress to actively support broader reform to rebuild America's efforts to effectively combat global poverty and put poor people and governments in charge of their own development.

In April, Chairman Berman and Representative Mark Kirk (R-IL) introduced H.R. 2139, the Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act of 2009. H.R. 2139 focuses on three critical areas of foreign assistance reform: creating a US national strategy for global development, refocusing its monitoring and evaluation approach, and increasing transparency on where assistance dollars are going. Oxfam America supports H.R. 2139, and hopes to see the United States design and implement a National Strategy for Global Development.

"We commend Chairmen Waxman and Markey for moving forward critically-needed comprehensive clean energy and climate change legislation. They should be recognized for their efforts to create momentum toward a clean energy and climate-resilient economy.

"We thank the Chairmen for including critically-needed financing to meet the needs of vulnerable communities worldwide to prepare for unavoidable impacts of climate change and move toward a clean energy development pathway. But we are disappointed that not nearly enough resources are provided for adaptation in the immediate term to address the serious impacts already occurring around the world.

"A substantial increase in resources for the most vulnerable countries will be essential for the President to make progress on fostering a global climate deal in Copenhagen this December. Without this commitment, a global agreement on climate will be in serious jeopardy.

"Immediate investments in climate-related disaster preparation will preempt much greater costs—as much as seven times greater—in future years and are key to avoiding global conflicts and instability. A recent report by Oxfam calculates that the number of people around the world affected by climate-related disasters annually will increase by more than 50 percent, to 375 million people by 2016.

"The bill also places a mandatory limit on global warming pollution, the cause of increasing climate-related harm for vulnerable communities. While the long-term emission targets are robust, the short term targets fall short of what's needed. The bill only aims to reduce US emissions by roughly 3 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, despite recommendations by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that industrialized countries together reduce their global warming emissions by 25-40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020. The more ambitious the emissions cuts, the less the damage vulnerable communities will face.

"There is considerable momentum in Congress right now to address the threats of climate change and transition our economy to clean energy, thereby creating new clean energy jobs and opportunities for US businesses.

"We look forward to working with members of Congress to strengthen the bill and ensure that the President has the necessary tools to broker an equitable and effective global climate agreement in Copenhagen this year. We also look to the White House to help Congress forge an aggressive energy and climate bill that gets the job done and protects those in need."

"Congressman Berman has long sought to make reform of US government global development programs a priority," said Raymond C. Offenheiser, President of Oxfam America. "Reform is necessary to restore America's leadership in fighting global poverty. Both he and Congressman Kirk should be applauded for identifying reform as one of America's top foreign policy challenges."

"With the right reforms, the US foreign assistance system can help poor people get the tools they need to lead their own development, spur economic growth and create a more prosperous world for everyone. This bill is an important first step to making sure the United States has the right tools to fight global poverty."

The bill, the Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act of 2009, focuses on three critical areas of foreign assistance reform: creating a US national strategy for global development, refocusing its monitoring and evaluation approach, and increasing transparency on where assistance dollars are going.

"Creating a national strategy for global development will help coordinate our disjointed US foreign assistance system, establish poverty reduction as its primary goal and provide developing countries and their citizens more ownership over their own development agenda," said Offenheiser. "By taking the time to listen to the poor people and countries we are trying to help, and by giving them more control over their own futures, US foreign assistance is more likely to make a long-lasting impact."

Tracking funding and ensuring assistance dollars are getting to people in need is one the biggest challenges facing US foreign assistance programs said Oxfam. There has been little chance to date that developing countries could get critical information needed to plan effectively for their own development projects. The portions of the bill focused on transparency promise US taxpayers and developing countries long-awaited clarity on how foreign assistance dollars are being distributed.

"Greater transparency in US foreign assistance programs is an important step to creating true partnerships with developing countries and their citizens," said Offenheiser. "When developing countries get access to information they need to effectively plan their own futures, they are empowered to work alongside the US as equal partners."

The monitoring and evaluation portion of the bill is a promising effort to change an antiquated model of gauging success. For too long, the US has focused on counting things like how many individuals went through a one-off agricultural training workshop rather than how much more food was produced locally to meet the needs of a community.

"Washington needs to stop bean-counting when it comes to judging the success of US foreign assistance. We need to be looking at how many more girls are getting an education because of US foreign assistance, and how their lives are improved, not just how many pencils are sharpened or textbooks are bought."

"President Obama has already expressed a commitment to making our foreign assistance dollars as effective as possible. Chairman Berman's 'down payment' on foreign assistance reform helps us get there," said Offenheiser.

In the response to the report, Raymond C. Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America, made the following statement:

"The State Department was asked to solve a complicated leadership and political problem with management tools like databases.

US foreign assistance doesn’t just need databases right now. What it needs to become more effective is someone to step up and lead us out of this quagmire.

We are starting to see this leadership. Secretary Clinton has made it clear US foreign assistance needs a fresh start. Congressman Berman is promising some eagerly anticipated legislation on aid reform.

This new leadership has the opportunity to deliver a National Strategy for Global Development that will reign in a sprawling assistance program, focus US foreign assistance on reducing global poverty and give poor people more control over their own futures."

Learn more about Oxfam America's aid reform initiative.

Introduced last week by Congresswomen Barbara Lee (D-CA), Betty McCollum (D-MN) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA), House Concurrent Resolution 98 affirms the commitment of Congress to support women globally to prepare for, build resilience for, and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

"The efforts of Congresswomen Lee, McCollum, and Eshoo will help raise awareness about the impacts of global warming on women. The resolution is timely, especially as Congress undertakes legislative action on global warming," said Vicky Rateau, manager of Oxfam America's climate change campaign.

When natural disasters strike, they hit poor communities first and worst, according to Oxfam. Since women make up an estimated 70 percent of those living below the poverty line, they are most likely to bear the heaviest burdens. At the same time, women are often left out of the conversation about adapting to climate change, even though they are sometimes in the best position to provide solutions.

The resolution affirms the commitment of Congress to empower women to have a voice in the planning and implementation of strategies to address climate change so that their roles and resources are taken into account. The resolution also encourages President Obama to consider the impacts of climate change on women while developing policies and programs to address climate change.

Co-sponsors of the resolution include Rep. Baldwin, Rep. Butterfield, Rep. Capps, Rep. Christensen, Rep. Clarke, Rep. Edwards, Rep. Hastings, Rep. Kucinich, Rep Lewis, Rep. Payne, and Rep. Speier.

"As we work to address the devastating impacts of climate change on a global and national level, we must ensure that our policies help women prepare for, build their resilience, and adapt to the adverse impact that climate change has across the globe," said Rateau.

Urgent action is required to make the bailout work for poor countries, complete the crackdown on tax havens and speed up reform of the IMF and World Bank, Oxfam said as it published its initial analysis of the London Summit, What Happened at the G-20?

The analysis also raises question over how much of the $50 billion promised for poor countries will be new money. Money distributed through the Multilateral Development Banks, in particular, could come from existing aid budgets.

Oxfam's recommended next steps towards for a 'new world order' are:

• An end to harmful conditions imposed by the IMF in return for money given to poor countries;
• Accelerated reform of the World Bank and IMF to give developing and poor nations parity of voice. As a first step, the US must give up its veto and European nations should give up some seats on the executive boards;
• The immediate personal engagement of G-20 Heads of State in pressing for a global climate change deal—by December it will be too late;
• A multilateral agreement requiring automatic disclosure of financial information by tax havens to developing countries.

"The G-20 could mark an historic turning point but we have been here too many times in the past to take rich countries' promises at face value," said Duncan Green, Oxfam spokesperson. "World leaders need to take decisive steps to turn their rhetoric about a new world order into reality.

"That means an end to the damaging conditionality imposed on poor countries when they ask for assistance from the IMF. If the price of a bailout is to close health clinics and schools then the financial medicine offered by the G-20 will make the patient worse, not better.

"And it means real action to tackle climate change. It would be a tragedy if having benefited from an economic bailout, the world economy and the millions of poor people at greatest risk, quickly become the victims of climate change."

Against this backdrop, how did the G20 leaders perform?

This brief looks at how current laws undermine US foreign aid as a strategic tool for fighting poverty today. Drawing from original legal analysis, it argues that foreign aid legislation:

1. Is too large to be used effectively;
2. Is broken into too many laws;
3. Has no clear priorities to guide decision-making;
4. Is often out of date;
5. Authorizes different actors to fulfill the same purposes;
6. Puts the budget process in charge of setting strategic priorities, rather than setting strategic priorities to drive resource decisions.

Oxfam America is calling for ambitious reforms to US foreign assistance—from aid's legislation, strategy, organizational structure, and implementation, to a substantive rethink of development in the field. Our foreign aid should lead global development efforts, it should put developing states and their citizens in the driver’s seat, and it should strive to get as much value as possible for poor people out of every aid dollar.

Oxfam says G-20 leaders could make a critical difference to the world's poorest people by diverting a tiny fraction of the bailout money to provide an economic stimulus, social safety nets and health services for those affected by the economic crisis.

Oxfam is calling for a $580 billion-a-year rescue package for poor countries made up of an immediate fiscal stimulus for the poorest countries of at least $24 billion, debt relief and fulfillment of existing pledges to increase development aid.

Urgent action is also needed to crackdown on tax havens, which deprive developing countries of hundreds of millions of dollars of tax revenue every year—much more than they receive in development aid.

"When you look at the amount of money that has been found for banks it seems inconceivable that G-20 leaders will stand aside and allow the economic crisis to destroy poor people' lives," said Raymond C. Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America.

"Developing countries are reeling from dramatic declines in trade, remittances and foreign investment. Rich governments whose policies contributed to the crisis have a responsibility to help those who cannot afford their own bailouts.

"Without urgent action, hundreds of millions of the world's poorest people will fall further into poverty. Losing your job is devastating wherever it happens but for millions people in poor countries, without benefits and health services to fall back on, unemployment will push them into destitution."

An Oxfam report, published earlier this week, revealed women are hit hardest and are often the first to lose their jobs as countries slide into recession. For many, in developing countries the recession comes on top of high fuel and food prices that have already stretched communities to breaking point.

Oxfam is pressing for rich country governments to promote a 'green new deal' by ensuring their domestic rescue packages help tackle climate change by accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Oxfam is also calling for reform of international financial institutions, including the IMF and World Bank, to give developing countries a real say in the decisions that affect them.

"We cannot return to the situation where the greed of the richest was allowed to take precedence over the needs of millions," said Offenheiser. "G-20 leaders have a real opportunity to take a significant step towards a fairer, more sustainable world."

"We applaud the efforts of Representatives Waxman and Markey in furthering the President's call for action on climate at this crucial time in the fight against global warming. By outlining a long-term vision of a greener and more climate-resilient world, this draft legislation provides a framework for historical congressional action on climate change.

"We are especially encouraged that the bill addresses the key goal of helping poor people – here and abroad – adapt to the unavoidable consequences of climate change, and we will work with Congress to ensure that substantial and adequate resources will be dedicated to this objective as the debate progresses. While least responsible for causing climate change, poor people bear the brunt of its impacts. Supporting community resilience for those most vulnerable and hardest hit must be a cornerstone of any American effort on climate change.

"By putting in place a pathway toward a clean energy future in the US and globally, and by mobilizing the resources for innovative, people-focused adaptation solutions, this legislative proposal can help generate the kinds of business and job opportunities critically needed to rebuild our nation's economy.

"Momentum is building toward the international negotiations to achieve a global climate agreement in Copenhagen this December. As the US begins to reengage in the negotiations this week in Bonn, this bill's recognition of international efforts to reduce emissions and adapt to climate impacts sends the signal that the United States is ready and willing to be back at the table.

"While the bill sets us on the right course for long-term emissions reductions, we have an obligation to the rest of the world to make even deeper near-term cuts in domestic emissions than called for in this draft.

"We look forward to working with Representatives Waxman and Markey and all members of the Energy and Commerce Committee to pass a strong climate bill that makes deep cuts in dangerous greenhouse gas emissions, transforms our economy, and helps poor and vulnerable communities cope with the negative impacts of global warming."