For that reason Oxfam America's duty is clear: We and our project partners must help reform government policies, laws, and social injustices that deny people the right to live a decent life. We do this by providing funding, training, and the moral support people need to make real, substantive and transformative changes. The courageous and visionary people who do this work are setting out to build a movement for social justice—and Oxfam America is one of the few organizations to which they can turn for the help they need.

Several governments and broad sectors of civil society are opposed to this unequal negotiating framework, which would limit the capacity of governments to make trade work for sustainable development and poverty eradication.

Oxfam International asserts that the FTAA will not contribute to sustainable development. It is based on the failed model of the North American Free Trade Agreement, which has neither produced growth nor addressed the crisis of poverty in Mexico.

This paper summarizes the reasons why Oxfam International opposes the FTAA. It puts forward our recommendations for developing different rules and provides an alternative framework for integration.

Also in this issue, working together to save the family farm, the power of reading empowers women in The Gambia, and updates on Oxfam's work in Bolivia and in eastern and southern Africa.

President Bush?s visit to Mississippi and Louisiana, days before the third anniversary of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, comes as a new report from Oxfam America reveals how little progress has been made and what still remains to be done to restore the region and repair the communities affected three years ago.

?If the history of the Katrina recovery were written today, it would be a tragedy. Far too little progress has been made despite the remarkable effort and ingenuity of the people of the region who are fighting to restore their homes and their lives,? said Raymond C. Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America. ?Much of the progress has come at the hands of Gulf Coast residents - in spite of significant hurdles placed in front of them by the federal government. The next administration must act quickly to remove those hurdles so Gulf Coast residents can truly and finally recover from the storms.?

Oxfam?s report, Mirror on America, which will be released Tuesday, reveals just how much work remains to be done, and provides recommendations to speed an equitable recovery, including:

• More than 35,000 individuals still living in FEMA trailers in the Gulf Coast
• Only 12 percent of African-American evacuees who returned to New Orleans after the hurricanes were able to find work, compared with 45 percent of white evacuees;
• In Louisiana 82,000 apartments were damaged or destroyed by Katrina and Rita, but the highest official estimate proposes to replace only about 25,000 affordable units;
• In Mississippi, federal money that was mandated for use in rebuilding low income housing was, instead, diverted to improving the shipyards in Biloxi;
• Compliance with federal labor laws has been ignored, leaving workers coaxed to the region on promises of high salaries and free housing, found neither and have since been abandoned.

President Bush rightly commended many who have worked hard to rebuild their homes and their lives. Unfortunately, so many have done so on their own, with less help than they could have used from the federal government.

Rebuilding the region has proved to be difficult. Many living along the Gulf Coast have been hit by a double injustice. On one hand they can?t afford the rising costs of rent, housing, insurance and utilities. On the other, they can?t find the kind of jobs they need to offset those increased expenses. It is not too late, however, for the many thousands who still need help.

?A new administration will face the challenge of correcting the mistakes of its predecessor and a critical opportunity to rebuild the Gulf Coast better and stronger,? said Rhonda Jackson, Louisiana State Policy Specialist for Oxfam America. ?The time is now to renew our promise and commit to a full Gulf Coast recovery.?

In a new report, If Not Now, When?, international relief and development agency Oxfam says that people living in poverty will be hit hard by the financial crisis unless urgent action is taken, adding that the poor should not have to pay for rich countries? mistakes.

"Poor people had little to do with creating the crisis, but will carry the heaviest burden, whether it is families evicted from their homes in Detroit, or children dying in Mali for want of basic medical care," said Oxfam spokesperson Gawain Kripke.

The International Labor Organization estimates the number of workers living on less than one dollar a day may increase by 40 million and those living on less than two dollars a day could increase by more than 100 million. All of this while poor countries are still reeling from the impact of food and oil price increases, and increasing droughts, floods and other climate-related weather shocks. Grain-price increases cost developing economies $324 billion last year—more than three times what they received in aid.

"There is a risk that recessions in rich countries will lead politicians to take the short-sighted approach of cutting aid. Given the tiny amounts of money involved compared to rich country economies, this would do little more than offer symbolic budget savings, but at huge human cost," said Kripke. "Aid to all developing countries last year was $104 billion. In comparison the US and EU mobilized nearly 30 times this—around $3 trillion—in the last few months to help bail out their banks."

"Rich countries made promises and must keep them. But their work cannot end there—aid is not the whole answer," said Kripke. "We cannot repeat what happened around the Asian financial crisis, where no substantial reform was agreed. To prevent future crises and protect the poor over the long term, leaders must seize this opportunity to rewrite the rules to curb instability and make the market work for all, not just a few at the top of the economic food chain."

In If Not Now, When?, Oxfam says that global leaders should immediately develop a new international regulatory institution with teeth, to prevent future financial crises and protect the interests of workers, consumers, and the environment. This includes taking on the secretive tax havens which undermine regulations and rob poor countries' of vital revenue that could be spent on schools and hospitals. It also calls for leaders to build a new representative global governance structure to tackle the economic, climate, food and energy crises.

"We're dealing with a whole new world—the G20 is facing a seismic shift in global power," said Kripke. "It's painfully clear that the world's multilateral institutions are out of date and ill-equipped to deal with the multiple crises that are now upon us, whether related to finance, food, fuel or climate. Reform must include far greater roles for developing countries as well as the poorest. Rich countries are going to have to concede some power on governing bodies like the G20 because they are desperate to get their hands on the huge financial reserves held by emerging markets."

Oxfam urges global leaders to see the opportunity to develop a new 21st century political and economic system that puts people and planet before profits. Oxfam calls on the G20 leaders to do three things:

• Honor the OECD pledge not to cut development assistance, and increase aid instead by an additional $140 billion necessary to meet the UN target of 0.7 per cent of GNI immediately. In addition, urgently extend credit to emerging markets facing liquidity crises.
• Rewrite global financial rules and regulations, including tackling tax havens and moving towards a more stable exchange rate system, in order to make the market work for all and not just for the few.
• Build a new representative global governance system that can effectively tackle the economic, food, and energy crises.

"Just last week the world witnessed a massive political shift in the US," said Kripke. "World leaders meeting this weekend should harness this momentum and commit to a way forward on finding serious, long-term solutions to financial instability and the global economic downturn that work for all."

?The ?Measure of America? reveals huge gaps among some groups in our country to access opportunity and reach their potential,? said Sarah Burd-Sharps, co-author of the book. ?Some Americans are living anywhere from 30 to 50 years behind others when it comes to issues we all care about: health, education and standard of living. For example, the state human development index shows that people in last-ranked Mississippi are living 30 years behind those in first-ranked Connecticut.?

Using U.S. government statistics on longevity, educational attainment and enrollment, and earnings, the report reveals where America is today and sets a benchmark against which we will be able to assess where we are tomorrow. Unlike single measurements of health, education or income, the American Human Development Index combines these factors into one measurement that more accurately reflects Americans? well-being. The report identifies which parts of the country are moving forward and which are stalled or even falling behind.

?This is not a report about one group of Americans or another; it is about all of us,? said Kristen Lewis, co-author of the report. ?By ranking the fifty states, the 436 congressional districts, and the major racial and ethnic groups, the American Human Development Index allows everyone to see where his or her community fits in terms of access to opportunity and standard of living.?

The American Human Development Report 2008-2009 shows that although America is one of the richest nations in the world, it is woefully behind when it comes to providing opportunity and choices to all Americans to build a better life. Following are just a few of the many findings of the report:

• In Texas? 29th Congressional District, the percentage of the adult population with less than a high school degree is at about the level of the U.S. average in the early 1970s.
• Among the nation?s 436 congressional districts, New York?s 14th District (in Manhattan) ranks first and California?s 20th District (around Fresno) ranks last; the average resident of New York?s 14th District earns more than three times as much as the average California?s 20th District resident.
• Nationally, Asian males have the highest human development index score and African American males the lowest, with a staggering 50-year gap between the two groups.
• Despite the fact that the United States spends roughly $5.2 billion every day on health care, more per capita than any other nation in the world, Americans live shorter lives than citizens of every Western European and Nordic country except for one.

?The information found in this report will prove invaluable to the philanthropic community when looking for ways to improve the lives of people living with reduced opportunities,? said Ed Cain, vice president for programs of The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. ?American philanthropies can use this report to identify where the needs exist and to guide their investments in programs that address those needs by providing better access to healthcare, education and jobs.?

Eighteen years after the first United Nations Human Development Report was published, more than 140 countries around the world have replicated the human development index for their country to better understand what is inhibiting human development and to use the data to develop policies that will improve their citizen?s standard of living. ?The human development index is such an accepted standard that in Brazil, for example, the human development index of each team?s country was flashed on the screen during televised World Cup soccer matches,? said Eduardo Martins, co-author of the report.

?The American Human Development Index is unique because it reveals the interlocking factors that create or deny opportunity and determine life chances,? said Raymond C. Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America. ?The analysis is particularly revealing in places like the Gulf Coast region, where we work with 34 regional organizations. The report clearly illustrates the conditions residents were struggling with even prior to the hurricanes of 2005?limited access to education, lower incomes, and shorter lives ? and argues for a comprehensive solution for recovery.?

The report also includes key social, economic, political, environmental, housing, transportation and military data distilled from a vast array of primary sources not found together anywhere else. Finally, the report describes successful policies in America and other wealthy nations, allowing policy makers to draw practical lessons for policy action locally or nationally.

?The American Human Development Index offers a clear and balanced measure of how well our public and private policies are meeting the needs of Americans,? said Darren Walker, vice president, Foundation Initiatives, The Rockefeller Foundation. ?The data in this report can be used to build on past policy successes and to create opportunities that serve a new generation of Americans.?

The housing crisis on the Gulf Coast persists. Homeowners are still waiting for financial assistance sufficient to rebuild, repair or relocate their homes. At least 60,000 pre-disaster low-income renters remain displaced. In recent weeks, advocates from the Gulf Coast have been testifying at hearings, lobbying in Washington DC, and rallying their networks all over the country to shape and support this bill to ensure that it helps low-income communities.

“This bill is a critical step to making sure low-income survivors are no longer left behind in the recovery,” said Raymond C. Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America. “Reports are that ‘Katrina Fatigue’ is setting in on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers need to know that the continuing crisis in the Gulf Coast is not yesterday’s news, but a test of our commitment to address the needs of our most vulnerable citizens.”

Key measures in HR1227 include:

• Increased transparency and accountability for the way the federal recovery dollars are being spent by the states, including monthly reports on the effectiveness of Louisiana’s “Road Home” program.
• Rights protections for public housing residents in both states, including the right to return.
• Funding that will help create 4500 units of rental housing for disabled, homeless and elderly households.

Oxfam America is collaborating with over 20 organizations in hurricane-impacted communities in Mississippi and Louisiana. In communities that have been bypassed by federal recovery dollars, our partner organizations are working with impacted families, volunteers and donated materials to help families get back into homes—and to advocate for a fair share of the funding.

"We at Oxfam join housing advocates across the Gulf Coast region in commending the House for its bi-partisan vote,” said Raymond C. Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America. “This milestone legislation takes steps to help ensure the most vulnerable survivors are not left behind in the region’s recovery. We urge the Senate to follow suit and prioritize swift passage of the Housing Recovery Act to help Gulf Coast residents who have already waited too long.”

Housing advocates throughout the Gulf Coast region celebrated a major victory yesterday, having played a key role in bringing the continuing housing crisis in the Gulf to federal lawmakers’ attention.

“Groups on the coast rallied in favor of this bill because we know what a difference it could make in steering the recovery in a more equitable direction. We are grateful to the congressional representatives who heard our voices and voted to support this”, said Natalie Presley of Mississippi’s Back Bay Mission. “We call on the Senate to follow the example of the House and pass this legislation swiftly.”

In early March, Housing and Community Opportunity Subcommittee Chair Rep. Maxine Waters (D. - CA) and other members visited Gulfport, MS and New Orleans, LA to learn more about the rebuilding challenges faced by Coast residents. The Committee heard testimony from a host of community advocates, including members of the Mississippi Steps Coalition (an alliance of organizations serving hurricane survivors), as well as from elected officials such as Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin.

Upon their return to Washington, Waters and the House Financial Services Committee moved rapidly to craft a bill responsive to the needs identified by Gulf Coast residents. The new legislation includes measures that will protect rights of public housing residents—including the right to return—and restore some rental housing for disabled, homeless, and the elderly. Importantly, it also increases oversight over hurricane recovery spending in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, requiring regular progress reports from the states and initiating a GAO study.

Phone calls and letters to elected officials poured in from throughout the Gulf Coast to express support for the bill and a few strategic amendments. A last minute push by members of the Steps Coalition helped solidify support for an important amendment offered by Texas Congressman Al Green to extend FEMA trailers and disaster vouchers through the end of 2007. Residents who are eligible for Section 8 assistance, either in trailers or apartments, can transition to a Section 8 apartment after the deadline is up.