COC

Center of Concern: Latest project updates

Updated May 8: World Food Crisis - In the past few weeks, riots over food prices have been erupting in several countries around the world including Egypt, Bangladesh, Haiti, and Cameroon among others. The riots are in response to the sharp spike in the price of basic foods made from wheat, rice and corn. Prices of these commodities have almost doubled in the last 12 months, but most of the increase has been seen and felt since January 2008. This sharp increase in prices is making it dangerously difficult for people to buy the foods they need for basic survival.

The Center of Concern's Education for Justice project has prepared a resource designed to provide a clear overview of the current food crisis and the conflicting economic forces at work behind the scenes. A copy of the important and timely resource is available here.
Updated May 6:  The new resource on the global food crisis is featured at www.educationforjustice.org .
Updated May 6:  In 1968, a young Jewish activist politically active in the peace movement was devastated by the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In a moving reflection, Rabbi Arthur Waskow, an internationally renowned Jewish leader in the global struggle for justice, recounts "how my deadened Jewish soul was reborn out of the death of Martin Luther King. Now when I praise the God Who "gives life to the dead," I mean it." Read his reflection in full.  
Updated Apr 11: "A Feminist Political Economic Framework" - Maria Riley explores feminist political economy as a groundbreaking challenge to current economic and social thinking.
Updated Mar 29: The most recent set of materials addresses a just and peaceful solution to the war in Iraq, prepared by Pax Christi USA in collaboration with the Center of Concern.
Updated Mar 29: AAI is an open forum on the impact of agribusiness conglomerates on farmers and ranchers, labor, consumers, the environment and food security. It addresses the disproportionate impact of vertically and horizontally integrated agribusiness conglomerates on the livelihoods and food security communities around the world.
Updated Mar 27: The Center has contributed to the article "Regulation of Hedge Funds: Why is it a Social Security Issue?" and the USA Country report, "Social Security: Not Yet Social or Secure" included in the 2007 Social Watch Report.