I’m not a big fan of “days.” Flag Day. National Boss Day. Grandparents Day. After a while, they are so many days, the individual sentiments behind them start to lose meaning. And, maybe it’s just me, but I’d rather we remembered our country, valued our administrative staff, and told our grandparents we loved them all year long.

So, when a co-worker mentioned that today was World Humanitarian Day, my first thought was, “Oh, God, not another one.” But then I watched this video from the UN. It explains what it means to be a humanitarian aid worker, from the points of view of the people who do the work as well as the communities they help.

I was struck by the simplicity of it. And the warmth. These are people, like those I know and like at Oxfam, who go to dangerous places to confront terrible conflicts, disasters, and diseases. And they carry out their work with energy, mercy, empathy, and incredible smarts.

Take a minute (or four) to watch the video. Be sure to hang on ’til 4:19 when a ridiculously cute Rwandan baby nearly steals the show.

If you’re moved by what you see, learn more about the humanitarian work Oxfam does. Right now, we’re ramping up our efforts in Pakistan, where we aim to reach 1 million flood survivors with clean water, sanitation facilities, and other essential aid.

Help provide our humanitarian workers with the support they need to help poor communities around the world. Donate now.

Photo by Chris Hufstader/Oxfam America

I frequently have an awkward moment when I interview women, particularly in some parts of Africa, when I ask them how many children they have. Some hesitate, because speaking about your children in public may be seen as boasting. It invites bad luck on your family.

Sometimes, a woman will look at me and ask if I want to know how many children she has who are still living, or should she include the ones that have passed away?

When we write stories here about women who have five, seven, nine, or even more children, some of our readers have a strong reaction. How can we eliminate poverty when people are having so many children? To them, it seems like the obvious place to start. Read the rest of this entry »

An activist in Ghana shows a copy of the 2006 Minerals and Mining Act, which allows citizens the right to fair, adequate, and prompt compensation if their land is seized for the purposes of mining. Photo by Chris Hufstader/Oxfam America

Today is International Human Rights Day, when we consider for a moment the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This was adopted by the UN in 1948, and established basic rights as universal, a key concept for the world as it moved into a crucial period of post-war rebuilding, Cold War, and decolonization. It is a relatively brief document (as human rights instruments go), just 30 Articles. In the preamble it calls on the member nations of the UN to take “progressive measures…to secure their universal and effective recognition and acceptance.”

I looked around on our web site for examples of people who are claiming and defending their rights, to serve as examples of why basic human rights are still essential to fighting poverty 61 years later. Here are just three:

Read the rest of this entry »

Author Peter Maass. Photo by Maura Hart/Oxfam America

I’m just finishing reading an excellent book by investigative journalist Peter Maass called Crude World: The Violent Twilight of Oil. It’s about the world’s dependence on oil: the pollution, corruption, compromised ethics, and tragedy of poverty in countries rich with the stuff. “Just as every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way, every dysfunctional oil country is dysfunctional in its own way,” he writes, and his book is indeed a catalog of dysfunction and unhappiness. Read the rest of this entry »

Last winter, my husband and I took our annual trip to see our parents out West. I’m from Southern California and John’s parents moved out to Arizona a few years ago. So, we can usually see both sets within a couple weeks. And, luckily for us, the trips usually bring warmth and beauty into our lives during Boston’s dreary winters; we spend our time road tripping to places like the Grand Canyon, Sedona, and Big Sur.

A photo from my trip to the Grand Canyon. This beloved national park may have natural resources, but does that mean they should be exploited? Andrea Perera / Oxfam America.

I was thinking about that trip yesterday morning when reading the news that the new Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has cancelled oil and gas leases on 77 parcels of federal land in southeastern Utah. This move reverses the Bush administration’s decision to allow drilling on about 130,000 acres near Nine Mile Canyon, Arches National Park, and Dinosaur National Monument. When I look back at the photos from my trip to the Grand Canyon, I can’t imagine what it would be like to drop an industrial oil operation in the midst of that type of unmarred landscape. Read the rest of this entry »