Well-Being For All

Are Average Canadians Unknowingly Arming Child Soldiers?

2012-02-28T13:29:00.001-05:00

I went to see Dr. Samantha Nutt last night who was the keynote speaker at the Ploughshares 35th Anniversary Celebration. Dr. Nutt is the founder of War Child North America and the Author of "Damned Nations - Greed, Guns Armies and Aid". She is a woman small of stature with a giant message and passion for humanitarian work. She told some heart wrenching and horrific stories from her times in war-torn Somalia and didn't pull any punches. She was AMAZING!

I will do a more thorough discussion on her book later but right now I would like to outline some simple points that really struck home for me.

Arms spending globally is at a level not seen since the end of WW II. It averages about $235 for every person living on this planet. Who is profiting from the sale of arms?

APPARENTLY WE ARE!!!

According to Nutt, every Canadian who pays into CPP is investing in arms manufacturing. Isn't that a mind blowing revelation? Canada is also among the top 10 countries supplying small arms globally. I didn't know.

Nutt also went on to say that that every teacher's pension fund in Canada is invested in arms manufacturers. So our teachers will have a great retirement at the expense arming child soldiers. Teachers will hate knowing this and many will simply refuse to believe it. But only teachers have the power to change it.

It is not just teachers pension funds though. Many of the mutual funds in our RRSPs are invested in arms manufacturing too. Only YOU can decide where your money is invested. It's not easy though. Investment funds and corporate ownership are so convoluted that a truly "Ethical" fund is nearly impossible to find.

Are YOU aware of any of this? I thought not.

She stressed that we as Canadians need to educate ourselves on the realities of the world. With corporatization of investments, we are all investing money in things we would never dream of supporting. Just as many of us have no idea where our food comes from, we have lost the ability to know where our money is being invested.

Did you know that Canada is the biggest mining country in the world? 70% of the mining done on this planet is done by Canadian mining companies. Many of them do not follow the same standards for human resource management that we do in Canada and often have human rights abuses charges on their records. Of course many do not follow the same level of environmental care and diligence that they do here in Canada either. (As an aside, Denise Wamsley, from our office, was chastised by visitors to Guatemala regarding the harm Canadian mining companies are responsible for in Central America. It seems the rest of the world knows more about what Canadian companies are doing than do Canadians!)

In her article in the Globe & Mail entitled "Should NGO's take the corporate bait?", Nutt says the combined annual net profit for the three (yes just 3) mining companies CIDA is supporting through a new NGO partnering initiative is more than $4 Billion. Read the complete article here.

Dr. Nutt says the hope lies in us. We CAN make a difference in the world by educating ourselves so we stop profiting from war and in making informed buying decisions and informed investing decisions.

So. Where will you go from here? Perhaps a good step would be to read her book. Buy it here. It could change your life. I for one don't want to be profiting by putting killing machines in the hands of children.

Ignorance IS bliss. But at what cost?

Christmas 2011

2011-12-22T12:06:00.001-05:00

Dear Friends,
Christmas. It's about people. It's about love and caring and sharing. My wish this Christmas is to inspire people to cut down on the trappings of life, increase our joyful memories, lighten our ecological footprint and help build global community at the same time. Let's begin in India.

Rupa Kumar is the director of the CORDI Women's Centre. Rupa shared with me once about how they celebrate Christmas in Chennai, India. The part that stood out the most for me was the singing of Carols on Christmas Eve. They do it a little differently than we do. Rupa says they go out about midnight after the service and go to people's houses and sing carols and then get invited into the recipient's home for a sharing of love and hope and light snacks. This goes on for quite a while. Rupa tells me that after three o'clock in the morning sometimes they have to sing four or five or more carols ever increasing in boisterousness before the people will get up and come downstairs and invite the carolers into their homes. This usually finishes up by sunrise Christmas morning.

I don't know about you but most people I know may have a problem with this middle-of-the-night awakening. In south India where Rupa lives this is an important ritual and people hope and expect to participate in it. People are at the center of the celebrations, sharing and making memories.

Our memories tell us what is most important in life. David Suzuki ended his impassioned talk at World Accord's recent event by sharing a personal story about one of his last visits with his 85 year old father before his passing. That visit lasted a month and was one of the best visits he'd ever had. They shared stories and memories, laughter and tears sometimes both at the same time.

As Dr. Suzuki puts it, “In all our weeks together, he never talked about a set of fancy clothes, a big car or a special house - that's just stuff.” Every memory worth keeping and worth sharing was about time spent doing things with friends and family; the people of his community. Things like fishing, camping or hiking. In David Suzuki's case it was nearly always something involving nature.

Think about your most precious memories. Are they about stuff - things you have managed to accumulate? Or are they about friends and family? I would guess that even if a “thing” was involved, it was the sharing of it with someone special that made it a memory worth keeping.

In order to help make some fabulous memories this year, why not give gifts that aren't about stuff but about sharing time and experience? What gifts could you give someone that would allow you to share precious time with them? Dinner, dance lessons, a cooking class (together of course), a canoe trip or tickets to live theatre are among the thousands of choices you have at your fingertips. You could also give a gift that would allow your kids to do something special with their friends helping them build treasured memories.

Not every gift we give has to end up in a landfill some day. Certainly your gifts to World Accord can make a difference that will last a lifetime and beyond.

Tara Nirayla is from the village of Karabari in eastern Nepal. She is a village leader in what has become a beautiful community. After a few years this village is ready to move beyond our support. The people are happy and healthy, excited and hopeful for their future.

David Suzuki also talked about the blurring (and even disappearance) of the line between our wants and our needs. Even what would once be considered a nice-to-have or an extravagance has now become a need. What about the developing world? In most areas where we work, the programs you support can make the difference between two or three meals a day, or being able to afford medicine for a sick child or shoes so a child can attend school. In my book those are needs and having to choose between medicine and food is no choice at all.

Like cherished memories, gifts to World Accord have the possibility of lasting so much longer than many of the things we spend spend so much on these days.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. On behalf of the staff and volunteers at World Accord, all our partners and the thousands of program participants around the world, I wish you and your families a wonderful Christmas of Joy, Hope, Love and Peace. May you create many new memories to cherish for a lifetime.

David Barth, Executive Director

Planting Hope in Haiti

2011-05-18T11:47:00.001-04:00

If you went to Haiti to look for signs of a brighter future, where would you go? A few days ago I found myself in the mountain district of Fon Batis, a 100 km north of Port-au-Prince, being inspired by farmers.

I was there with FIDA-PcH (Productive Cooperatives of Haiti), World Accord’s partner in that country. FIDA-PcH has worked with farmers in Fon Batis for years: helping to organize cooperatives, providing credits, and offering literacy classes and training on sustainable farming.

Fon Batis sits atop a rugged, rocky, dry mountain chain. Years of producing coffee and charcoal have left very few trees, and growing food there is difficult, even with FIDA-PcH’s help. Following the massive earthquake that struck Haiti last year, thousands of the families who lost their homes moved to the countryside. Some came to Fon Batis looking for safety, shelter and food. Local people accommodated them, but food is scarce, and now there is even more pressure on the land.

In February, World Accord and FIDA-PcH began a project to help Fon Batis and nearby Saint Marc to respond. Since then, FIDA-PcH has been helping 120 farmers from 6 coops learn to grow garden crops in the dry season. With training in organic growing, seeds and ongoing technical advice, these farmers will be able to produce more food for themselves and for local markets. Farmers improve their incomes, but everyone benefits from having better access to local, healthy food during the “hunger months.”

At Fon Batis I observed a training workshop, where about 20 farmers – all but two of them women – learned to produce compost and grow leeks during the dry season. One technique involved protecting seeds with ash and banana leaves until they become strong enough to stand the sun. FIDA-PcH estimates that each farming family will improve their income by at least $150 with that crop alone.

I have always thought that putting seeds in the ground is a great act of faith. The commitment of these particular farmers – having lived through hurricanes, earthquakes and social turmoil – humbled me. Like all Haitians I met, they were eager to work and rebuild. Their work and hope in the future of Haiti should spark our own faith in that country.

By Nelson Rosales

Three Cups of Education

2011-05-09T17:14:00.001-04:00

There sure has been a lot written on the web lately about the Greg Mortenson scandal. (See the "60 Minutes" clip on YouTube here.) Was "Three Cups of Tea" more fiction that truth? I am afraid only Mr. Mortenson himself will ever be able to really answer that question. What I would like to do is speak a little to some of the criticisms I have read and why they may or may NOT apply to the work World Accord supports.

The first lesson (cup of education) - "For" or "With"

It has been said that Greg Mortenson builds schools "for" Afghans and Pakistanis. According to the fastcompany.com blog entitled: What The Scandal Of "Three Cups of Tea" Author Greg Mortenson Is Really About, Adam Braun of Pencils of Promise says:

"The schools that aren't being used are usually those built for locals, rather than those built with locals. Education is much more complex than just putting up four walls, so those that only focus on the build itself will see higher rates of school abandonment."

In the same article, Laura Freschi of the Aidwatchers blog points out "most of the money CAI (Mortenson's charity - Central Asia Institute) spent on schools--$3 million out of $4 million--went to building, not teacher salaries, school supplies, scholarships, or followup. CAI--and other organizations--are just dropping schools into Afghanistan and hoping teachers and students show up."

At World Accord International Development Agency, we would agree with Braun. It is one reason why World Accord has never once built a school "for" anyone. Our volunteer-led Construction Expeditions only build schools "with" communities. Generally, a community our local partner is already working with makes a request for a school. The community supplies the land and generally has the footings laid before our volunteers arrive on the scene. Our volunteers work together with students, their parents and other community members to build a school.

A chain gang of students passes along building materials.

Cup of Education # 2: Providing Education is for the State.

Laura Freschi of Aidwatchers would seem to imply that charity should support teacher salaries, school supplies and administrative support. I strongly disagree with Freschi's views on this. Nearly ALL our funds for the construction expeditions go for infrastructure including desks. It is not sustainable for us to carry salaries, supplies and administrative costs. We will only build a school building where classes are already being held without proper educational facilities. If those things are not supplied by one level of government or other, building a school will be a fruitless exercise. In a blog entitled "Cup Half Empty" at foreignpolicy.com, Mosharraf Zaidi writes:

"Charity and philanthropy cannot service the needs of a country that has more than 70 million children between ages of 5 and 18. Only a state-financed education system, with serious oversight and accountability instruments built into it, can address the challenge here." (in Pakistan)

Zaidi is right. We can't do it for them but we can assist them in doing it for themselves.

The third cup: Education alone is NOT the answer.

The blog entitled "Three Cups of Fiction" at schoolingtheworld.org states:

"...the idea that building schools and getting every kid on the planet inside them is a solution to the problem of global poverty, for example, is a real whopper."

We have to agree. That is why "education and schools" is only one aspect of a more integrated approach that World Accord develops in partnership with participating communities. The aim is to eliminate the barriers that hamper development. Of course we can't eliminate all the barriers or the more institutionalized ones, but those the communities can address with our help. Sometimes that is just enough to clear the way for people to grow in capacity and become more self-determined.

To sum up. While we help communities in their efforts to create schools, education needs to be state supplied and still remains just one piece (though an important piece) of the puzzle and problem of global poverty.

The Indigenous Experiment. What Works Best?

2011-03-22T11:33:00.001-04:00

I just returned from a week in Guatemala visiting projects with a family of World Accord volunteers and their friend. Nelson Rosales and I, with the help of Mujeres en Accion's staff and driver, took our group to a number of villages to learn about the projects. We also took in some geological and cultural sites to learn about the country and the people.

The adults in our group would discuss various elements of our learnings as the days progressed. One day the comparison was made between the indigenous of Canada and the indigenous of Guatemala. Who was actually better off today? That evening I ended up in a discussion with Nelson on the same topic. We later learned that two other members of the group were having the same discussion in their room.

I think most Canadians would agree that how our governments in the past have treated the indigenous peoples of Canada hasn't really worked all that well. It has been a massive social experiment - one that is still ongoing and inconclusive. A similar experiment is ongoing in the US with their indigenous peoples as well as Australia and many other countries around the world. Our current experience was with the Maya - indigenous to Guatemala.

It is true that when the Spaniards came to Central America many indigenous people died. And when the land was divided, sold, granted, stolen, etc very little land ended up in the hands of the primarily agrarian Maya. During the civil war in the 1980's more than 200,000 of the Maya were killed in the attempted genocide by the government and army. Today the Maya of Guatemala are mostly landless though some few own small plots for farming. They are a source of cheap labour for the land holders and many rent land or do crafts. Mostly they are still very poor.

And yet we found that they are mostly pretty happy people that are all too willing to share with us what precious little they have. They are quick to smile and share a laugh. There is a sense of community. There is once again a sense of pride and people are not scared to look you in the eye though this was not always the case.

The debate goes on. In some countries the indigenous were simply extinguished like in El Salvador. In others they ceased to remain separate and distinct as they blended with their Spanish conquerors. Their previous culture and language lost forever.

The human race has much to answer for. How we treat our mother earth and how we treat each other and the experiment is ongoing. How are we doing? Can we change course? What will a successful outcome look like? So many questions and the answers are scarce. What can we do to help make the planet and the human race become the possible?

Sabina, in the mountains near Chichoy, found the market flooded with weavings - the most traditional of Mayan handicrafts - and unable to earn a living with the labour intensive trade. She borrowed money from Mujeres en Accion to rent land and began to plant and harvest Camomile for tea. She is very happy with the increased level of income from the change.

World Accord's Pakistan Flood Response

2010-08-19T14:47:00.001-04:00

This is how our local partner organization - INSAN - responds to the needs of women and children affected by the devastating floods in Pakistan.

The Crisis
The people of Pakistan have been afflicted by heavy rains and flooding since late July. To date, the scope of the damage is immense: a fifth of the country – an area the size of California is under water, 4 million people are homeless, and almost all food crops have been destroyed. The scope of Pakistan’s needs is also immense. Most of the people affected still lack access to shelter, food, and clean water. These and preventing disease are the top priorities in times of crisis.

Women and Children Too
Hunger, cold, and thirst affect everyone following natural disasters. However, in Pakistan as in other countries, women and children suffer the most in times of crisis. This is because more women and children live in poverty, suffer from malnutrition poor health and lack of education, and live in regions where land is cheap but vulnerable to floods. Following a natural disaster, women and children are also more vulnerable to assault and violence. They also have special health needs – particularly pregnant women and young children. In times of crisis, it is critical to address these specific needs too.

World Accord’s Response
World Accord is responding to the floods in Pakistan through its partner, the Insan Foundation. Insan promotes grassroots peace-building and the inclusion of women through education and training projects. Insan conducted a rapid assessment shortly after the flooding began. It found that many of the security and health needs of women and children are not being addressed.

Insan and World Accord are responding to this gap by providing emergency kits to women in communities in the extreme North and South of Pakistan. These kits include blankets, emergency rations, feminine hygiene products, and solar-powered lanterns – for the security they provide.

How to Help
World Accord is a registered Canadian charity based in Waterloo that has been working to end poverty and respond to human need for 30 years. It has supported development work in Pakistan for 20 years. World Accord’s experience and relationship with a trusted partner guarantee that all assistance will reach those who need it most. You can help World Accord and Insan’s efforts by visiting our website (www.worldaccord.org), or calling 1-800-525-3545 or 519-747-2215.

For more information, contact:

Nelson Rosales
Programme Coordinator
Tel: 519.747.2215
Fax: 519.747.2644
Email: nrosales@worldaccord.org

More photos of the Flooding in Guatemala.

2010-06-02T11:01:00.001-04:00

Digging out the streets of Tecpan

It must have been a raging river through here to deposit this much earth. Lucky the entire town was not swept away. Well not all luck. Solid homes and well made infrastructure helps to minimize the losses in natural disasters.

How much water would have to flow through here to deposit rocks of this size in the middle of the road. Some homes - more poorly constructed ones - did get washed away.

Hermalinda from Women in Action (Mujeres en Accion) walks through what use to be a flat street. It is a miracle more people were not killed in this town.

Storms and Eruptions in Central America

2010-06-02T09:54:00.001-04:00

If you have been watching the news you have surely noticed that there has been two natural disasters in Central America in this past week - the eruption of volcano Pacaya and the heavy rains of an early storm.

Tropical storm Agatha has caused tremendous flooding in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras with many bridges being wiped out causing a breakdown in the supply of food to many of the affected areas. There has also been some loss of life in each of countries where we work. Thankfully the locations where our partners work were not the hardest hit so they will be able to assist the people in the areas that were.

In Honduras most of the seeds from the new crop were washed away.

In Guatemala, Agatha has caused flooding and loss of homes, crops and stores. The area of Agua Escondita was the hardest hit in our program area and the staff from Mujeres en Accion have been out distributing food and water in the area. You can see from the photo below that we are not just talking about simple crop damage here. Slides like this were common. Thankfully no one was killed in this slide.

We are still waiting for our partners to assess the situation to determine what World Accord's response will be. We will keep readers up to date.

Also in Guatemala, Pacaya blew her stack and spewed hundreds of thousands of tons of ash and rock and lava into the air. This is ordinarily an active but peaceful volcano. Just 20 months ago I was toasting marshmallows on the lava flow on Pacaya. To see her erupt like this is another story altogether. check it out on YouTube Reports say three people were killed by the falling rock. Areas of Guatemala City were covered with up to three inches of ash and the airport had to be closed.

Battery Recycling brings Lead Poisoning in El Salvador

2010-04-27T10:57:00.001-04:00

"IN THIS PLACE THERE ARE 33,000 TONS OF ASHES AND TOXIC SLAG. THEREFORE WE DEMAND (THE DECLARATION OF AN) ENVIRONMENTAL EMERGENCY.

The Communities of the Lead-Free Movement."

On our trip to Central America in February one of the more disturbing problems we encountered was a community in El Salvador that has been contaminated with lead. When the company that set up the plant was selling the concept to the community way back when, they baked up a batch of cookies and went door to door handing out cookies and telling the people they were setting up a plant to make cookies like these.

By the time the plant was up and running it was too late. At first blush the concept of setting up a battery recycling plant seems like a good idea but you have to remember that there are all kinds of heavy metals and toxins created in the process. Not handled correctly these would be a huge problem and of course handling the waste correctly would cut profits. It was unceremoniously dumped in a huge pile on the plant property.

It is from the huge pile that the heavy metals and toxins seeped into the soil and further into the ground water. To make matters worse, there was also lead and other poisons coming out of the plant smoke stack.

The community was inundated with lead and other toxins. It was in their drinking water, in the fruit and vegetables grown on the contaminated land. They were breathing it in with every breath.

Since lead poisoning attacks the nervous system, it wasn't long before they started to see problems with the kids at school; behaviour issues, headaches, inability to concentrate and complaints of aching bones. Various types of symptoms started to show up in the adult community. People were losing their hair, there were problems with headaches, seizures and numerous other afflictions. Babies were stillborn. We were told that there hadn't been a successful birth in this community of 1,300 families for more than two years now.

Of course the people would love to leave and go somewhere else but this is their home and they have nothing else. Their property is worthless now. The former government that allowed this disaster to occur, is no longer in power and the new government is not accepting responsibility either. If they were to declare this an environmental disaster they would have to clean it up at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars.

This is a huge problem and one beyond the scope of World Accord's resources to handle. But we can use our voices, help make people aware of problems like this and hopefully help prevent more things like this from happening around our planet.

From our research the best natural remedy for heavy metals poisoning is - believe it or not - Cilantro. Lots of it. We have translated the English documents on the topic and sent them to our partners in El Salvador. We have also contacted the Health Ministries Association of the Community of Christ to see if they might be able to run a medical mission to the area. If you know anyone what does medical missions, you could suggest this as a community they might want to help.

While it has been a slow and long fight, the Lead Free Movement appears to be making headway in at least having the source of contamination cleaned up.

If you read Spanish, check out the Lead Free Movement blog.

I had read that the human race is stealing resources and capacity from future generations in the name of progress and profit. Only we can stop it folks.

World Accord Board Meeting Reflections

2010-01-28T16:36:00.001-05:00

We came together last weekend from various places across Canada and the United States to meet and discuss the various issues facing World Accord. It was my first board meeting as the executive director and I have to admit that I have gained new insight into the role these women and men play and the dedication they have to the cause of World Accord.

From left to right is: Doug MacArthur from Lethbridge, Alberta; myself, Rosilyn Coulson from New Westminster, BC; Steve Capling - our board President - from Williams Lake, BC; and Lew Shepherdson - board Treasurer - from Ottawa, ON. Seated are Carley Cole from Olds, AB, on the left with Mary Jacks-Dynes from Independence, Missouri.

Missing are Diana Hill - soon to be off the board and into the sailing adventure of a lifetime - and Tiona Taylor of Woodbridge, Ontario. Sadly, Tiona wasn't feeling well on the weekend and was unable to attend.

I had been involved to some degree with the people on the board and have done my financial presentations at board meetings since starting with World Accord but this was the first time I got to see the inner workings of the board. Riveting. Well as you may expect that is not entirely true but there is more to board meetings than mere governance of the charity.

We did our share of discussing the challenges faced by World Accord and our partners in the past year but perhaps more importantly we talked about a vision for where World Accord will be in the future. There was a lot of brainstorming and sharing of ideas and concepts that might be used to help propel World Accord into that future place where we can work to help even more people than ever before. I know I was inspired by the way the board was there to enable me and empower me to lead World Accord into the next phase of our organizational evolution.

In short I would like to thank these board members and all World Accord "board-members-past" for their dedication to the cause; laying the foundations that got us here and helping pave the way into tomorrow. If you run across one of these people, feel free to thank them for the role they play in keeping World Accord a vital and relevant organization.

Peace and Blessings

David Barth, Executive Director

PS On another note, we were visited by Betsy Wall, Executive Director of FIDA, who talked to us at length about her understanding and involvement in Haiti. That is the only country they work in and have a long history of successful projects and some lessons learned from less successful ones. Thank you Betsy. We learned a lot and of course developed still more questions we will be investigating in the future.

We have a New Program Officer

2010-01-11T16:56:00.001-05:00

Welcome to 2010 everyone. It is going to be an interesting and incredible year. We are starting this year off right with the hiring of Nelson Rosales to be World Accord's new program officer. We are really excited by the possibilities that Nelson will help us to realize over the next year and hopefully, into the years beyond.

Nelson was born and raised in El Salvador and moved to Saskatchewan when he was 10 years old and later moved to Toronto. He is just finishing up his M.A. in Adult Education and Community Development and already holds an Honours Bachelors degree in International Development and Anthropology.

Nelson has worked or volunteered in many countries including, Haiti, Cuba, El Salvador, Vietnam, Columbia, Kenya and the Philippines and is fully fluent in Spanish, English and French. He is passionate about gender equality and working with people in a participatory manner right at the community and village group level. It appears to me an incredible match since we have excellent partners and many incredible community groups for Nelson to assist in their development goals.

I am thankful for this opportunity to work with Nelson to help our partners bring new hope to the program participants.

Welcome to World Accord Nelson.

David.

Help Wanted - Program Officer

2009-11-12T16:16:00.001-05:00

Want to make a serious difference? Here is your chance!

World Accord - International Development Agency is a small Canadian charity and NGO based in Waterloo, Ontario, that receives funding from individuals, churches and other groups, businesses and, where possible, government agencies. These funds are then used to support the grass roots development efforts of our partners in several Central American and Asian countries. We are currently seeking an experienced program officer. Reporting directly to the Executive Director, the successful candidate will have:

a minimum of 2 years experience in the field,
a post secondary education in International Development or a related field,
a proven capacity to write successful project or program proposals for CIDA,
excellent budgeting skills,
the drive to ensure deadlines are never missed,
strong communication and presentation skills,
the ability to produce clear and concise reports,
solid file organizing and managing skills,
strong people skills,
a very high level of personal integrity and
a clear understanding of environmental sustainability and gender equality issues.

This is a one year contract position that can lead to permanent employment for the successful candidate. There is a requirement for substantial international travel with this position and the ability to work and travel independently is crucial. While the majority of the work will be in English, preference will be given to those with superior Spanish language ability. E-mail applications to waccord@worldaccord.org no later than Nov. 30

We Have A Voice - Let's Use It!!!

2009-11-11T11:26:00.001-05:00

What a month it has been. First there was the Community of Christ International Peace Colloquy. The recipient of the International Peace Award this year was Dr. Halima Bashir. She has spoken out against the genocide of her people in Darfur and written her memoirs of survival in her book - "Tears of the Desert".

Before her acceptance speech there was a short film clip entitled "Voices From Darfur".

Check it out here. Voices From Darfur

Dr. Bashir was introduced by our past director, Rod Downing, who has been producing a Peace and Justice letter for several years now and has become very knowledgeable on the Darfur genocide crisis.

We had arranged to bring three very important people to the Colloquy to participate as keynote speakers: Rupa Kumar of the CORDI Women's Shelter, in India; Felipa Xico, the executive Director of Mujeres en Accion (MeA) in Guatemala; and Domitila Curuchich, a past participant and now director of the MeA program.

During Dr. Bashir's keynote address, I remember looking over at Domitila to see her head down with tears falling onto her lap as she listened to Dr. Bashir tell her story. It brought back for her all the memories she had of the civil war and genocide in Guatemala and the disappearance of her father and brother.

After the award ceremony I saw Felipa sitting alone in the back of the temple. She had not expected to hear such a story and it had been incredibly difficult for her.

Find recordings of the Peace Colloquy here: Recordings

The following day Domitila and Felipa did an amazing job on their keynote address but all the talk later was about the address of Rupa Kumar who held nothing back on her plea. Perhaps it would be more accurately described as "her demand" for equality for women around the globe. It was hard hitting and quite appropriate given the focus of this year's Peace Colloquy - "Justice for Women; Dignity for All".

I was so proud to call these incredible women "partners of World Accord"!

I bought Dr. Bashir's book and began gobbling it up immediately. You can buy it by clicking here.

Once we all returned to Canada we began the journey that would see Terry Fielder and myself cross the country with our partners telling our stories to anyone who would listen. There were several radio interviews, newspaper articles and many meetings with both groups and individuals.

By the time we had completed our journey I had finished Tears of the Desert. What an incredible story! It was very heart wrenching and, as at other times in my life, I was astounded by man's ability to do completely inhuman things to other people. At times like this I feel there must be some fundamental flaw in humans that we could do such awful things to each other.

I am ashamed to admit that, at times, an email came across my desk and, too busy, I hit the delete key when it would have only take a moment to add my voice to those who speak out against atrocities. Never again! It may be a small thing but.......From now on I will be careful to ensure I no longer remain silent. Speaking out is a wise use of a moment. It was Haile Selassie who said:

"Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better;
the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph."

On this, our Remembrance Day, let us not only remember those Canadians who have fallen in wars past and present, but all those people around the world that suffer as a result of human conflict.

Let us use our voices where possible to help end conflict and bring Peace to this World.

Peace and Love

David

ps. Here is a simple thing. Go to the Save Darfur page and download a search toolbar for your browser that will donate funds to the cause whenever you search with it.

8 Days left till "Stand Up"

2009-10-08T10:25:00.001-04:00

It is going to be a big event once again this year. More than 116 million people world wide. Go to a "Stand Up" Against Poverty event and be included in the millions that are sending a message to their respective governments to fulfill their promises of help eradicate extreme poverty by 2015. It CAN be done if we all work together. Check out their new video for Stand Up. I will be at the CEM conference in Guelph and all who choose to participate will Stand up for the photo so we can count our number and send it into the Stand Up organizers.

Sometimes small effort and small time commitments CAN have a large payoff if it is done by enough people. Join us - wherever you are in the world. Thanks for reading.

David

15 Days 'Till We "Stand Up" - ARE YOU IN?

2009-10-01T12:36:00.001-04:00

Once again this year there will be a global event to raise awareness and send a message to governments all over the world; "They should come through on their promises to bring an end to poverty via the Millennium Development Goals".

Anyone and everyone can have a voice in this and participate in any number of ways. Last year there were several congregations across Canada that held small "Stand Up" events. If you register the event with the "Stand Up" website, you can then send them in numbers of participants after the fact and include a photo of your group. Last year more than 116 Million people "Stood Up" against poverty around the world. It is a growing movement and this year I am certain the numbers will swell.

On October 17th we will hold a small "Stand Up" event as part of our presentation at the Community of Christ, Canada East Mission annual general meeting. This is something we did last year and hope to see "Stand Up" become a regular part of the AGM.

Please check out the website and consider getting involved. It is easy and quick, doesn't cost a thing, and can easily be incorporated into any congregation's Sunday service on October 18th. " Every little bit helps." That's what MY mother told me and I KNOW it to be true. Thanks for reading and have an awesome day.

David

World Accord at the Peacemaker's Summit

2009-09-25T14:01:00.001-04:00

As the new executive director of World Accord, I had the good fortune to receive an invitation to the Community of Christ Peacemaker's Summit. It was held in Independence, Missouri on Monday and Tuesday of this week. This Summit was an opportunity for the Church to get together with affiliates of the church. Some of the organizations were quite formalized and others, not so much. For some the affiliation with the church was clear and formal and with other organizations the affiliation was less clear. This hardly mattered though.

What mattered was that all the people in the room were working toward creating or maintaining Peace in their respective communities through many different approaches. I was struck by the thought of how the Peace mission of the church was being brought to fruition through these many and varied pathways. If we look at the influence we are having as a total, it is incredible. And that is just the officially recognized affiliates. There are so many spin-offs.

For instance, Mary Burbidge went on one of our construction expeditions and felt called to do something for the cold and sick kids in the mountains of Honduras. She started up the pneumonia vest knitting project that has not only given people an opportunity to help here in Canada but has probably touched upwards of 20,000 children around the world that have received a knitted vest or hat. And hundreds of people have participated in World Accord's construction expeditions through the efforts of volunteers Al Wigood, Richard Kirsh and Jens Schoenrank. And this is just one piece of the pie.

Then there is the individual contributions by church members. We stayed at the home of donors Carol and Dave Baltz. Their giving hearts are incredible. The help they have provided for some seriously marginalized youth is truly inspiring. If we were able to look at the sum total of all the good that is done by Community of Christ affiliates, members and friends, I am sure the result would be astounding.

World Accord was well represented. In addition to myself, we had Rod Downing, a former-director of World Accord, representing his Peace and Justice newsletter; Mary Jacks-Dynes, a current World Accord board member, representing the church; and WA Treasurer Lew Shepherdson (on the board of at least three church affiliates), representing Encounter World Religions. World Accord staff member Terry Fielder was there with me but also represented Sionito since he is a member of Sionito's board of directors.

As a group we developed goals and action steps to achieving those goals that will have us all working together more effectively to support the creation and maintenance of Peace. It was an inspiring event to say the least.

Rupa Kumar and Felipa Xico to Visit Canada

2009-09-09T10:53:00.001-04:00

World Accord is planning to have Rupa and Felipa, from the CORDI Women's Shelter in India and Women in Action in Guatemala respectively, participate in the 2009 Peace Colloquy, Justice for Women - Dignity for All. If possible, they will each bring a participant from their programs. This in itself is very exciting. We will be presenting on the use of Micro Credit programs in poverty alleviation. The role of poverty alleviation in supporting Peace was well established when Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank he created were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for their efforts to create economic and social development from below."

In order to get the most out of Rupa and Felipa's trip, we will be taking them to visit various congregations across Canada so they can share their stories, their successes and challenges. This cross-Canada showcase is the brainchild of former executive director, Terry Fielder, who just recently completed the incredible feat of cycling across Canada with his wife Sandra and 24 other very determined people. The cross-Canada showcase itinerary is still open! We will be finalizing plans when Terry returns to the office next week. So if anyone has any awesome ideas for showcasing these incredible women in mid-October, please send them along by email to dbarth@worldaccord.org

We hope to see you at some point on this journey.

For Peace and Justice,

David Barth,

Executive Director

Interesting Rally in Nepal

2009-07-30T10:09:00.001-04:00

This morning we received a You Tube clip link from our partner in Nepal. Incredible they way they are embracing technology to spread news of their works. Something we at World Accord can - and will - take a lesson from.

The clip is of a bike rally to spread awareness and gather support for a commitment to end "armed" domestic violence in the country. Shobha works for our partner SAP-Nepal in Kathmandu and is the woman that points out the issues in this video clip.

David Barth Appointed Executive Director

2009-07-18T16:01:00.001-04:00

The World Accord Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of David Barth as Executive Director, effective July 24, 2009. David replaces Terry Fielder, who is retiring after 25 years of service as the Executive Director.

David’s appointment is the final step in a lengthy search process. The World Accord Board of Directors invested several hundred hours over a twelve month period: defining World Accord's needs and criteria; reviewing more than 60 applicants; interviewing candidates in Canada, Asia and Africa; assessing candidates against the needs and criteria; and finally making the decision.

David brings experience, skills and passion to this new leadership role in World Accord. His engineering and MBA degrees, his experience as a consultant, teacher, and entrepreneur all complement his ten years of working at World Accord. He has applied his organizational and financial skills in implementing effective systems for fund raising, donor management, and accounting, and has trained and worked with many of World Accord’s overseas program partners to improve their management and reporting systems.

Join the Board in congratulating David and pledge your continued support for World Accord and its mission under David's leadership.

World Accord Board of Directors

[The official press release announcing the appointment.]

Watch for details about events in the fall where you can join us in recognizing and celebrating Terry Fielder's 25 years of service to World Accord

World Accord Announces Planned Retirement of Executive Director Terry Fielder

2009-02-12T23:55:00.004-05:00

The World Accord Board of Directors announces the planned retirement of World Accord Executive Director Terry Fielder, effective June 2009. “Terry has not only been the face, voice and heart of World Accord for 25 years,” said Steve Capling, President of World Accord, “but he has been a tireless advocate for progressive development policies within the Canadian NGO community.”

Terry Fielder, having been the Executive Director of World Accord since July 1984, asked the Board to begin planning for his retirement over two years ago. “It is more difficult to think of leaving than it was to think of coming. World Accord is more than a job or career – World Accord has become part of my signature, part of my last name, part of my expression of things I believe and believe in.” stated Fielder. “World Accord has brought us into friendship with some of the greatest people that our nation and the world community has ever produced.”

Under Fielder's leadership, World Accord has developed funding from CIDA (Government of Canada), Community of Christ World Hunger Fund, Wild Rose Foundation, other foundations and from thousands of ordinary Canadians. Those funds have been channeled through local partner organizations in dozens of countries around the world. This approach allows those local organizations to implement development programs that have improved the well-being of many thousands of hard-working people who have been born into the poorest circumstances.

The World Accord Board of Directors will be launching a search to recruit an Executive Director.

A Personal Note from Terry Fielder:

Dear Friends:

In 1980, a handful of North Americans got together. They were looking for an alternative to the “aid” model that characterized our relationship with what was then called the “Third World.” All had personal lives and other work responsibilities that made them busy people, yet they cared for a world in need and they dared as a group to ask “What if?” They had given a great deal of thought about ways to empower communities of people born in poor circumstances. They conceived an agency that would enable people with resources to share them with those who had not. It was these early thoughts and this new agency that attracted me.

One day in 1984, the phone rang in my hardware store and within a minute, life for me and my family changed forever. Sandra and I had been volunteers with this new agency for four years and now the Board of Directors asked me to be the first staff member of what we now know as World Accord. We would need to leave the security of our home town and a business that was solid and profitable. It was both scary and exciting.

World Accord has evolved significantly over these 29 years. The “what” that handful of people wanted to accomplish all those years ago continues to be proven as valid. The values, the hope, the concept of empowering the poor were visionary at the time and are today accepted as critical to fostering an environment where people can flourish sustainably in peace with each other and the environment we share. While the “what” is the same, the “how” has changed greatly as we have learned what works and what doesn’t. Expectation and Hope are powerfully different concepts. Our Hope motivates us; our Expectation is based on HOW we exercise our power of choice.

In mid 2006, after 22 years as Executive Director of World Accord, my wife Sandra and I made a difficult choice and I approached the Board of Directors of World Accord and asked them to begin a process of Succession Planning. It is more difficult to think of leaving than it was to think of coming. World Accord is more than a job or career – for Sandra and I, World Accord has become part of our signature, part of my last name, part of our expression of things we believe and believe in. World Accord has brought us into friendship with some of the greatest people that our nation and the world community has ever produced.

The belief I share with Sandra and our children and with the Board of Directors of World Accord is that this agency needs to remain a vibrant component of our world community. The realization of Well-Being For All is still some distance off, beyond the horizon. The world community needs organizations like World Accord to express their hopes from a base of shared values.

The Board of Directors takes seriously their responsibilities for governance of this cause-related agency. They employ the same techniques we learned together a long time ago in the villages where projects were designed by listening and deciding together. Over the next few months, the Board will search for the person that World Accord needs to advance the cause of world accord.

Many people have influenced the evolution of World Accord and fostered and encouraged me to experiment as we learned and continue to learn how to express concern and caring. I treasure the life we have shared. I expect a shared future where we can and will still toil with our eyes fixed on our dream for a better and more peaceful world. I hope we get a chance to celebrate together the past we have shared and the future we have yet to experience.

Terry Fielder

Fundraiser Pancake-less Pancake Breakfast!

2008-07-10T13:33:00.001-04:00

Tuesday July 8th, 2008, at 7:30 AM donors gathered around the kitchen at Ziontario Campgrounds for a pancake breakfast, sans pancakes! What did they eat, you may ask? Bacon and Eggs!! The Eggs were donated by Grayridge Eggs and all was cooked by the Mahoney sisters and 'surrogate Mahoneys'. The event raised $838 for World Accord to support overseas programs.
Thanks to all who prepared, and ate!!
World Accord Staff

Fastathon(s) a Big Success So Far

2008-07-04T15:58:00.001-04:00

Once again this spring, youth and adults from all over the country participated in the 36 hour fasting and fundraising event. Between the events held at Ziontario and Hills of Peace campgrounds, we raised just over $35,000. Another outstanding year. AND there is still more to come.

For the second summer in a row, the directors of the BC reunion have not only encouraged a mini-Fastathon within the reunion but are helping World Accord with handling the planning and organizing as well. It may be a small group of fasters but they are keen to participate and are eager fundraisers too.

The theme for Fastathon this year is "If Everyone Cared... imagine what the world would be". We had great events with more than 120 people showing up to fast so far.

This year we also had some special participants at the Ziontario Fastathon. Kayla Wyer brought 12 of her companions from the Katimivik group she has been traveling and volunteering with.

In a strange twist of fate, Kayla won the Construction Trip. At the western Fastathon, the trip was won by Carson Moor - a driving force behind getting the Fastathon going in the west. Congratulations to Carson and Kayla.

The BC Reunion Fastathon will take place July 21 - 23 at Samish Island campgrounds. Watch for an update after that.

Thank you to all participants and those who sponsored them. The funds from the event will be used primarily in support of the CORDI Women's Shelter in India. Thank you again for helping make that possible.

World Accord Staff

Letters from Honduras Children

2008-06-23T10:55:00.002-04:00

That is Al Wigood Pictured above with Ever Domingo and Marco Brenedi (in green)

To: Mr. Al with lots of love.
From: Ever Domingo Flores Doblado
I wish you all the best of the world. I am firstly a child of God and I will never forget you. I love you so much I pray that God will keep you safe where ever you may be. Thank you so much for what you and your partners did for us and left with us. At the same time I don't know how to properly say I wish you a Happy Christmas and Prosperity in the New Year. Those are my wishes for you Mr. Al from Ever Domingo with all the love in the world.

Ever Domingo's brother Marco writes:

From marco Brenedi Flores Doblado
To: Mr. Al
Although I have a short time of knowing you, I love you. I am five years old and I will never forget you and I ask God that you come back to this place. I also ask God to keep you safe where you live. I want to tell you I have 7 brothers and every one appreciates you though I appreciate you the most. This small and humble paper may you take with you as a memory from the children that wish you health in the name of our Lord and to all of your friends that worked hard in this place with a lot of love. I say good bye with a million kisses and a million hugs.
Brenedi
ps Good Bye not for ever.

2008 Summer Job Available

2008-05-23T09:25:00.001-04:00

As of 23-May-2008 World Accord has a position for a summer student for 2008.

Job title is "Program-Resource Assistant" and duties will include but not be limited to:

Community Awareness initiatives
Fundraising activities
Office Administration

See posting on the website for details.

Excerpt from Jack Allen Memorial

2008-04-17T10:31:00.002-04:00

SHARING OUR ABUNDANCE OFFERINGS - Jack Allen

Sharing Our Abundance offerings for May honors a long time member of UCE, Jack Allen. Many of us remember Jack fondly as he made everyone feel so welcome at UCE. As well, when Jack died, he left a $10,000 life insurance gift to UCE. We really appreciate all the contributions Jack made to UCE and to Unitarianism and therefore, we will be honoring him by donating our charitable sharing of offerings for May to World Accord.

In 1961, Jack was led to the Unitarian church by his daughter, Judy. It was such a good fit with Jack's principles of justice and equity and interdependence. Judy brought him but Social Justice kept him here. He was part of the group in this church who supported with time and money, a hostel for the multitudes of hitchhikers criss-crossing the country. In the 60s the Native Friendship Centre became a focus for him and he encouraged other members of the church to offer hospitality and tutoring at the Centre. He and other Unitarians joined the protest against nuclear testing in Southern Alberta. He long supported the gay and lesbian community, marching in protest when Anita Bryant came to town in the 70s and most recently in the Gay Pride Parade last June in his friend's power wheelchair.

After 41 years he resigned his membership in this church but immediately joined the Westwood congregation where his partner, Elaine Roberts, was an active member. He became an active member of their Social Justice Committee and supported enthusiastically their projects in Nicaragua and Peru. Together, Jack and Elaine journeyed to Central America 5 times with World Accord, an organization whose development philosophy embraces the idea that "development is not a destination, but a journey". World Accord works with people, families and communities, helping create opportunities and choices that improve their well-being in ways consistent with their culture and value. Each time he went, he joyfully assisted a campesino family to build a home or the people of a village to build a school or community center. He was very sad in 2005 when he realized that his balance was so compromised that he was unsafe on the worksite and that it would be his last trip. He was 81.

A team of Jack's family and friends are going to Honduras in January 2009 to build a school in his honour. Contributions to World Accord, to the Jack Allen Memorial Fund are still being gratefully received. Further information about this is available from Elaine Roberts or from World Accord.

World Accord www.worldaccord.org
1C-185 Frobisher Dr. Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2V 2E6 1-800-525-3545