Partnership Areas - NCP Partner Community Program

• Sudan
• Honduras
• Nepal
• Arctic Village
• Ecuadorian Amazon
• El Salvador
• Guatemala

Sudan

Situation: This East African country is struggling to emerge from a several-decades long civil war pitting the mainly Arab and Muslim north of the country against the mainly black African and increasingly Christian southern half of the country. At issue were: political power, oil and water resources in the south (access to these and distribution of oil profits), racial bias, and religious differences. A Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed in January 2005, with the understanding that in 2011, the south will vote on whether to succeed from the north to form its own nation.

Since the CPA, there has been little real improvement in basic services, and informed sources say both north and south are quietly rearming. Key needs in southern communities include: water bore holes (wells); health care; education; vocational training; trauma healing; gender equity. Currently, development taking place is being largely implemented by aid groups and governments beyond Sudan.

Partner: NCP's partner in Sudan is the New Sudan Council of Churches, representing the main denominations in southern Sudan . The NSCC carries out ministries of peacemaking and trauma healing, leadership training, literacy education, youth empowerment, and economic development, and encourages cooperation on the local level between denominations. On the village level, Sudanese people are gracious and hard-working, and welcome visitors who come respectfully and seeking to build partnerships. NCP staff have collaborated with the NSCC for 15 years; in 2007, NCP will forward grants totaling $16,000 to the NSCC for girls' education, women's development, malaria prevention, and reforestation projects.

Challenges: Among the challenges for partnerships in southern Sudan:

• poor transportation infrastructure (difficult to move people and goods)
• difficult communications (limited email, land-mail must be routed through Uganda)
• on-going destabilization by conflict in Darfur and sporadic attacks by the Lord's Resistance Army (a rebel group fighting against the government of Uganda , but based in southern Sudan)
• distance and cost of travel to Sudan

Opportunities: Some possible features of a relationship include:

• learning Tours to visit southern communities
• economic development, educational and reforestation projects
• need for Solidarity Workers to do skills training, teaching, or many other tasks (terms of several months and longer)
• advocacy for Sudan vis a vis U.S. government
• sharing cultural and religious traditions
• exchanging written greetings, photos and other tokens of friendship
• possibly marketing craft items made by women's groups in Sudan
• chance to see African wildlife

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Honduras

Situation: Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere , with 40 percent of the population living on less that $1 a day. What has been a traditionally rural society is becoming increasingly urbanized, as poor rural residents come to the cities to seek their fortunes-often by working in sweatshops run by international corporations. Most Hondurans are Christian, and divide between Roman Catholic and evangelical traditions. There are some indigenous groups still remaining in the highlands.

Honduras has been a dependable ally of the United States during the years of conflict in Central America , lasting up through the mid-1990's. The country hosted U.S. military bases, and served as a launch site for the Contras as these counter-revolutionaries sought to destabilize the Sandinista government of Nicaragua in the 1980's.

Partner: NCP's partner is the Christian Commission for Development, an indigenous nongovernmental agency working for justice for the poor. CCD was begun in 1982, is an ecumenical agency, and works in various parts of the country. CCD's Solidarity Program hosts work groups; these groups from other countries work with members of communities in projects of benefit to the community. Typically, groups live and work in a community for a week. NCP delegations then make a 2-day visit to the Mayan Ruins at Copan . In terms of financial support, NCP has given educational scholarships to one community in Honduras through CCD. NCP staff have related to and collaborated with CCD for the past 20 years.

Challenges: Among the challenges for partnerships in Honduras :

• few community leaders speak English (CCD would facilitate communication)
• some villages are quite remote and difficult to access

Opportunities: Some possible features of a relationship include:

• joining Learning Tours to Honduras , experiencing Honduran hospitality
• funding development projects in communities
• advocating in the U.S. government related to issues facing Honduras ; gaining understanding of issues related to rural poverty and the sweatshop economy
• possibly sending Spanish-speaking volunteers to work with CCD
• sharing cultural and religious traditions
• exchanging written greetings, photos and other tokens of friendship
• possibly selling Fair Trade products from Honduras

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Nepal

Situation: Nepal is emerging from a 10-year civil war which pitted one of the world's last remaining Maoist groups against the government led by King Gyanendra-the world's only Hindu monarch. The war claimed over 13,000 victims and displaced tens of thousands of people. A "people's revolution" against the king's heavy-handed approach to the conflict in April 2006 was instrumental in turning the tide toward peace.

Nepal is the poorest country in south Asia , with a per capital income of around $300 per year. Half of Nepali children experience stunted growth due to malnutrition, and thousands die every year from diarrhea-a result of unsafe drinking water. Women are especially down-trodden in Nepal , the country where there is the saying: "To be born a daughter is a lost life." Bias against women prevails across society, from the family to the court system. Between 150,000 and 300,000 Nepali girls are trapped in the sex trade in neighboring India ; many others work in Indian sweatshops. Poverty and gender bias fuel this situation.

Partner: NCP's partner in Nepal is Women Empowerment. This grass-roots women's organization does community education on the value and rights of women, sponsors training events to give women skills-training, and supports girls' education. NCP has been in partnership with WE since 2005, and has provided several thousand dollars in grants for WE programs, while also facilitating grants from other organizations.

Challenges: Among the challenges for partnership development in Nepal are:

• language differences, as few rural people speak English (WE would facilitate communication)
• communication-postal service is unreliable, email is more certain but still often sporadic, due to cost and availability
• distance and cost of travel to Nepal

Opportunities: Some possible features of a relationship include:

• exposure to Hindu and Asian culture
• supporting women's development projects
• participation in NCP Learning Tours
• hosting Nepali students on study visas
• exchanging written greetings, photos and other tokens of friendship
• advocating with the U.S. government related to issues facing Nepal
• experience of being in the Himalayan region

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Artic Village, Alaska

Situation: The community of Arctic Village is 150 miles north of the Arctic Circle on the border of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in the foothills of the Brooks Range . It is home to 150 Gwich'in Indians who are of the Episcopal church. The Gwich'in have lived off the land for thousands of years, with caribou being their staple food. Other important foods are fish, moose, and small mammals-along with flown-in (and expensive) staples such as rice and canned goods. In the past century, the Gwich'in have settled into 15 permanent villages in northeast Alaska and northwest Canada .

The Gwich'in way of life has been threatened by proposed oil drilling operations on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The Porcupine Caribou Herd has used the plain as their birthing ground for thousand of years. The U.S. Congress set aside the coastal plain as protected area, but with the option of more study of it for its energy potential. Studies estimate 9-15 billion barrels of recoverable oil (over a 15-year period).

Partner: The people of Arctic Village are the NCP partner, with delegations being hosted by Charlie and Marion Swaney. NCP has had a relationship with the community since 2001.

Challenges: Among the challenges for partnership development with the Gwich'in:

• distance and cost
• slow-developing relationship with native community

Opportunities: Some possible features of a relationship include:

• exposure to Gwich'in culture
• supporting advocacy efforts for protection of ANWR while encouraging less petroleum consumption
• participation in NCP Learning Tours
• hosting Gwich'in for speaking tours in Lower 48
• exchanging written greetings, photos and other tokens of friendship
• experiencing the Arctic region

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Ecuadorian Amazon

Situation: The Amazon basin receives 18 percent of the world's fresh water and releases 20 percent of the planet's oxygen. It is also the most biologically diverse terrestrial area on earth; with only 6 percent of the world's land mass, it houses one-third of the world's species. At the Cuyabeno Reserve in northeastern Ecuador , site of NCP Learning Tours, 313 species of trees have been identified in one hectare (2.47 acres), and 500 species of birds and 100 species of mammals have been reported.

The northeastern Amazonian zone of Ecuador has been home to native people for thousands of years; for the past 45 years it has been home to an invasive species-oil companies. This industry has been allowed to drill in 98 percent of the Amazonian region, and daily pumps over 4 million gallons of toxic waste into the ecosystem. (The U.S. imports 40 percent of Ecuador 's oil. Poverty rates in Ecuador have risen from 40 to 70 percent since the discovery of oil.)

Partner: NCP's partner in Ecuador is Fundacion Selva: Vida Sin Frontiers (Selva Foundation: Life Without Frontiers). This is a women-led environmental and native rights organization based in Quito , with a residential compound just outside the Cuyabeno Reserve. NCP's guide while in the Reserve is Delio, a Siona Indian shaman and rainforest expert. NCP has given financial support to rainforest preservation programs, and purchases Join the Band wristbands from the Cofan people.

Challenges: Among the challenges for partnership development in Ecuador :

• NCP has few good relationships with native communities apart from our friendship with Delio

Opportunities: Some possible features of a relationship include:

• combining environmental and social justice issues
• taking part in Learning Tours, experiencing the rainforest
• advocacy for policies and actions (less petroleum consumption) to protect remaining rainforest
• experiencing native culture and religious traditions
• supporting rainforest protection projects of NCP
• promoting the Join the Band program (featuring wristbands purchased from the Cofan people of the Cuyabeno region)

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El Salvador

Situation: El Salvador experienced a brutal civil war during the latter decades of the 20 th Century at a cost of thousands of dead and disappeared, and tens of thousands of refugees to nearby countries. The fighting ended in 1992, but deep social and political divisions remain. Well-to-do Salvadorans shop at exclusive malls, while poor rural residents struggle to make a living. Those who cannot end up in sweatshops in the capital or attempting to get to El Norte-the United States. Indeed, El Salvador 's most profitable export is people; Salvadorans living in the U.S. send over $3 billion in remittances back home every year.

The United States has been a key player in recent Salvadoran history, supporting repressive governments during the 70's and 80's, and attempting to influence 2004 presidential elections in favor of a right-wing candidate (who eventually became president).

Partner: Emmanuel Baptist Church has been NCP's partner since 2003, having hosted two NCP Learning Tours and been the recipient of an annual $3000 grant for scholarships for girls' education. Emmanuel carries out basic development work in poor communities in many sectors of El Salvador.

Challenges: Among the challenges for partnership development in El Salvador :

• no unusual challenges, other than the language barrier

Opportunities: Some possible features of a relationship include:

• working with a spiritually-centered, holistic development program
• participation in Learning Tours
• gaining understanding of U.S. policies in El Salvador , as well as the impact of international trade agreements
• advocating for justice in relation to U.S. policies and international trade agreements
• exchanging written greetings, photos and other tokens of friendship
• experiencing Salvador hospitality, culture, and faith
• joining in NCP programs to support girls' education
• possibly selling Fair Trade products from El Salvador

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Guatemala

Situation: Guatemala is one of the most scenic-and challenging-nations in our hemisphere. Even though the population is 65% indigenous, these original inhabitants struggle against poverty and racism-and bore the brunt of the atrocities during the country's 35 year-long civil war, which ended in 1996. Currently, half of the total Guatemalan population of 12.5 million lives in extreme poverty.

Environmental problems are both a cause and result of Guatemala's woes: a cause, in that deforestation and pollution affect living conditions (lung disease from breathing indoor air pollution from open cook fires is the leading cause of death for rural women); a result, as poverty is a cause of much of the environmental degradation, poor people having been pushed to farm the only available land-on marginal hillsides.

Partner: NCP's partner is the Pastoral Social office of the Catholic Church in the department of Huehuetenango. This office works at human rights, cultural equality, health, education, poverty reduction, immigration, reforestation/ecological remediation, and women's development. NCP supports PS by funding reforestation initiatives and helping provide support for Todd Bauer (following five years as a volunteer in Guatemala , Todd is now a staff person with Pastoral Social).

Challenges: Among the complexities of entering in partnership with Guatemala:

• a high incidence of common crime, so that travelers need to exercise caution
• many indigenous communities speak only their own language, making communication challenging

Opportunities: Possibilities for developing a relationship in Guatemala include:

• NCP plans on annual Learning Tours to Guatemala to visit in communities and lead about social, political and environmental issues
• Pastoral Social has expressed openness to partner relations between US groups and communities in Guatemala , including school-to-school connections
• funding opportunities will include support of tree nurseries; other opportunities may grow out of a relationship with a community
• exchange of cultural and religious heritage
• learning more about the problematic role of the United States in Guatemalan history, including playing a key role in a coup that helped spark the long-running civil war
• possible hosting by Pastoral Social of Solidarity Workers

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