Oxfam America

CIFCA mission confirms human rights violations in Honduras

Oxfam America — 2009-08-19T15:21:40Z

CIFCA—the Copenhagen Initiative for Central America and Mexico—coordinated the mission, which was composed of 17 members from different professional sectors and countries. The delegation visited Honduras at the end of July.

The mission recommended that the international community condemn the coup and demand Zelaya's return.

The mission calls on the international community not to accept elections organized by the de facto Micheletti government and to continue to suspend international budget aid. It also calls on the international community to maintain the suspension of diplomatic relations with the Micheletti administration, including suspending diplomatic visas and freezing foreign bank accounts.

All these measures are intended to force the de facto government to accept the negotiations coordinated by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias. Arias seeks a peaceful return to democracy that will begin with Zelaya's return to the country.

The members of the mission were able to confirm that human rights have been violated, as people were arrested without formal legal accusations. The people who have been detained include not only Hondurans, but also foreigners, especially Nicaraguans.

The mission also confirmed several cases of violations of freedom of speech and expression and has had conversations with journalists that were forced to stop their activities.

In order to continue monitoring the situation in Honduras, the mission has decided to create a Human Rights Observatory.

OXFAMExchange Spring 2004

rbaker — 2009-04-30T20:06:03Z

When it comes to fostering lasting change, investing in women makes a lot of sense.

In any society, developing or not, women are likely to be poorer, less educated, and less empowered than men. Oxfam recognizes women should be valued equally and enabled to reach their potential. What’s more, research has shown that when women earn income, they are more likely than men to spend it on family welfare. And when women are educated, they make decisions that benefit their families and influence their communities.

In the pages that follow, you'll read about how Oxfam is targeting the laws in Mozambique and the gender violence in El Salvador that severely disadvantage women. You'll also learn how Oxfam is equipping women to mediate peace in West Africa and to grow the income of their families. In every case, when it comes to empowering women, men are an equal part of the equation. Oxfam is striving to shape societies that not only permit women to be contributors, but societies that recognize that if they don't seize upon what women can offer, they are failing to leverage one of their most valuable assets.

OXFAMExchange Spring 2003

mborum — 2009-04-30T20:28:46Z

When's the last time you bit into a juicy, ripe, red tomato, a real summer tomato, the kind that drips down to your elbow but tastes so great, who cares? Unless you grow your own, it's probably been awhile.

When's the last time a small-farm family called it quits and had to sell their land for development? Probably yesterday or the day before.

There's no coincidence here. The loss of truly fresh fruits and vegetables, grown for their taste, and the loss of farmland and small-scale farmers are two faces of the same coin. In this issue of EXCHANGE, we meet Michael Rozyne, founder and managing director of Oxfam partner Red Tomato.

Also in this issue, ethnic discrimination in Guatemala—and the Mayan defense. Plus, how community radio is engaging Senegal's youth, and the humanitarian imperative of land mine clearance in war-torn Afghanistan.