My time in Nicaragua is off to a phenomenal (and frenetic) start. Today, we oriented ourselves to Nicaragua and the ways in which climate change is already impacting the people of this small (and vulnerable!) country. Our first meeting of the day was with Daniel Ortega’s liaison to churches in Nicaragua. I must confess that his presentation felt a bit like political propaganda, and later on when I spoke with our hosts, they offered a more realistic perspective.

Our second meeting was with the leading climate change expert in Nicaragua, Dr. Incer Barquero. In addition to reviewing the usual facts and figures of climate change (yes, the earth is getting warmer, we are already seeing the impacts in fiercer and more frequent storms, increased droughts and floods, and so on), Dr. Incer Barquero also gave us a picture of what this looks like on the ground here in Nicaragua. Two phenomena stuck out—first, Nicaragua lies to south of the typical hurricane routes. Yet in the last ten or so years, two very strong hurricanes have pummeled Nicaragua, Mitch and Felix, both of which caused unprecedented damage. Global warming is likely key to these new hurricane paths. A second way in which Nicaragua is feeling the impact of climate change is in the unpredictability of weather. It is growing increasingly difficult to predict when and where rain will fall. Some places are uncharacteristically dry, others are unseasonably drenched. This all leads to an upsetting of agricultural practices and disruption in food production.

What was perhaps most encouraging to me about Dr. Incer Barquero’s presentation was his suggestions for moving forward. He thinks that the most effective aid will be distributed on the ground within communities (such as churches) rather than top down (e.g., from the government). He also suggests that the people, especially the indigenous Miskitos on the North Atlantic coast, return to their traditions and heritage in food production (what we call accompaniment at the ELCA). Finally, he recommends that aid be long term and sustainable, “teaching the people how to fish rather than simply giving them a fish.” Each of these strategies matches well with the approach taken by ELCA World Hunger.

Our last session of the day was with the founder of our host organization, CIEETS (an acronym in Spanish for The Inter-church Center for Theological and Social Studies). I was very much encouraged by his vision and hope. I will have more to say about his presentation in a future post.

I will conclude today’s note with a word about Obama’s inauguration. The people we’ve spoken with down here are very excited about our new president. Each person who spoke with us commented on how thrilled they were for us and for the possibilities of renewed relationships between the US and those in the region. Today is, in their estimation, a momentous day filled with hope for a brighter future. As we watched the inauguration over lunch, I must confess that I was proud of my nation.

-David Creech

I just touched down in Nicaragua, where I will be for the next 10 days looking at the impact of climate change on hunger. We will be, among other things, speaking with certain officials in governmental posts, meeting with various NGOs, and visiting sites on the north Atlantic coast impacted by hurricanes. I will be blogging some of my adventures here, so be sure to check in periodically. Also, some of my cohorts will be sharing their thoughts on blogs of their own: check out http://www.mariposa2009.blogspot.com/ and http://blogs.elca.org/09nicaraguatrip.

-David Creech

On this day in which we honor an iconic modern-day saint, I wanted to reflect a bit on race in America. It is true that we have made strides towards equality, and that in many places racist attitudes and stereotypes are simply no longer acceptable. I, like many other Americans, am very excited to watch Barack Obama be sworn in as our 44th president.

Although we have made steps forward, much work remains to be done. There are still too many structures and institutions that inhibit human flourishing, especially among minorities. A very telling statistic is that, according to the US Census Bureau, in 2007, 24.5% of the Black population and 21.5% of the (somewhat inaccurately identified) Hispanic population live in poverty. This is compared to the 8.2% of the White population. While poverty is simply unacceptable for any racial or ethnic group (or person for that matter) in a land with so much wealth, I find it disconcerting that of the 37 million people in the US who suffer in such circumstances, Blacks and Hispanics are so disproportionately represented. We must pray and work against the unjust systems and structures that perpetuate discrimination.

So I conclude with a verse from the Bible to which Dr. King himself frequently alluded: “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:24). Amen.

-David Creech

In the fight against hunger, the way in which we live our lives matters. Small changes in our daily practices can make a big difference. This year, World Hunger is focusing on three food practices that can help alleviate global hunger: eat local, lower, and less. By eating local, we support local farmers and reduce fuel consumption used in shipping. By eating lower on the food chain (i.e., less meat, more fruits and vegetables), we reduce consumption considerably (about 10 pounds of feed translates into about 1 pound of beef). Finally, by eating less (and by this we are speaking about periodic, intentional fasts), we take time to learn more about global hunger and devote our resources to eliminating it. When we make small changes towards eating local, lower, and less, not only do we nourish ourselves, we also work towards nourishing those who are hungry.

– David Creech

For a quick understanding of lots of statistics, I find this page on BBC News interesting. It contains graphs from the UN’s 2008 Global Environment Outlook report, highlighting a variety of trends at the intersection of humans and the environment. In particular, the map of the world’s access to drinking water got my attention (you have to scroll down a bit). I knew parts of Africa have significant water issues; I didn’t realize that very nearly all of Africa had insufficient drinking water. Nor did I realize how much of Asia and South America are similarly troubled. The other graphs are interesting, too. A picture really does say a thousand words.

This year the ELCA is beginning a concerted effort to address these diseases that disproportionately affect those who are poor and marginalized. More than two million people die from AIDS every year, over one million die from Malaria. In sub-Sahara Africa, where AIDS is the leading cause of death and the Malaria epidemic is particularly acute, these diseases perpetuate the cycle of poverty, decimating those of working age and leaving countless children orphaned. ELCA World Hunger will play a key role in this church wide initiative to eradicate these so-called “diseases of poverty.”

– David Creech

In recent years it has become increasingly clear that global warming is a reality that calls the church to action. We can no longer look the other way and pretend that climate change is not happening. Within the last century, temperatures have risen nearly one degree. Through it may not seem like much, this increase correlates to environmental problems such as floods and droughts, more frequent and severe natural disasters, and rising sea levels.

The environmental problems that have been linked to global warming are especially devastating to those who are the poorest and, therefore also hungriest, in the world. In other words, climate change does not simply raise issues of stewardship and care for the earth. It is also fundamentally a justice issue. This year, ELCA World Hunger will be making a concerted effort to raise awareness of the ways in which global climate change impacts those who are hungry and to mobilize the church to act on behalf of the most vulnerable.

In an effort to better understand the impact of climate change, I will be traveling down to Nicaragua with an ELCA delegation from January 19-29. Be sure to watch the blog for updates (and pictures!) of my experiences down there.

– David Creech

Leading a rich life, one totally worthy of SIMPLE.

Hear author and poet Anne Basye share more about her life and book Sustaining Simplicity: A Journal on a recent segment of 30 Good Minutes.

For more information about Sustaining Simplicity and simple living visit:
www.elca.org/Our-Faith-In-Action/Responding-to-the-World/ELCA-World-Hunger/Resources/Simple-Living.aspx

Happy reading, happy living!
Christopher

As an organization that defines hunger broadly, ELCA World Hunger is concerned with the many root causes of hunger. One of these root causes is, of course, war. And the current situation is Gaza is especially poignant for anyone who wants to explain how war causes hunger. It is demonstrating so many of the effects in such a short period of time.

In perusing the news coverage, I found this page today on the BBC Web site. It provides a summary of several of the problems in just one page. Getting food is the most direct hunger issue. People are running out of food in their homes, warehouses that store food are too dangerous to access, distribution paths are disrupted, bakeries lack cooking gas to make food, outside food can’t cross the borders in sufficient quantities, and the price of the food that is available continues to rise.

Beyond the food itself, energy supplies have been interrupted, which means that people don’t have the electricity or gas to cook, even if they have the food. More problematic, water is running short as the pumps at wells run out of fuel to lift the water from the ground. In addition, lack of power has halted the pumps at wastewater treatment plants, causing sewage to flood neighborhoods, farmland, and sea.

Those are just some of the immediate problems caused by war. The longer-term issues are just as grave. On this page, a woman mentions that local farmers have not been able to harvest their crops for two weeks. Depending how long the fighting continues and how much damage is done to the crops, war can destroy food supplies for a whole season as well as the livelihoods of those who are employed in the local food system. Damage to the fields and soil can destroy that chain for longer than a season. In addition, damage to other infrastructure – roads, businesses, government buildings – can interrupt livelihoods and basic services in many sectors, and for a place like Gaza that doesn’t have a lot of wealth and assets to start with, recovery can be a long road even in the best of circumstances. And none of this even addresses the loss of life – often working age men who provide income for their families.

Gaza is the location grabbing headlines at the moment, but the factors are similar in every war. So until war ends everywhere, as people engaged in the fight against hunger, the trick is to not grow weary of long-lasting wars, or to forget them as soon as they’re over, but to keep on fighting for those affected and for a different future. Ironic, the wording, no?