Members Hear Petitioners Speak up for Independence, Statehood, Free Association
Special Committee on Decolonization
GA/COL/3193 - Press Release
New York - June 15, 2009
The Special Committee on Decolonization this afternoon approved a draft resolution calling upon the Government of the United States to expedite a process that would allow the Puerto Rican people to exercise fully their inalienable right to self-determination and independence.
By the terms of that text, which the Special Committee approved by consensus, the decolonization body -– formally known as the Special Committee on the Situation with Regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples -– requested that the President of the United States release all Puerto Rican political prisoners serving sentences for cases relating to the Non-Self-Governing Territory’s struggle for independence -– including two who had been imprisoned for more than 28 years. It expressed serious concern about actions carried out against Puerto Rican independence fighters and encouraged rigorous investigations of those actions, in cooperation with relevant authorities.
The Special Committee, also known as the “Committee of 24”, urged the United States Government to complete the return of occupied land and installations on Vieques island and in Ceiba to the Puerto Rican people; respect their inhabitants’ fundamental human rights to health and economic development; and expedite and cover the costs of decontaminating the areas previously used for military exercises.
Introducing the draft resolution, Cuba’s representative said Puerto Rico was a Latin American and Caribbean country with its own national identity, and its long struggle for independence was deeply rooted in a sense of identity. Notwithstanding 27 resolutions and decisions approved by the Special Committee and the General Assembly, the people of the Commonwealth were still unable to exercise their legitimate right to genuine self-determination and independence due to continuing economic, political and social domination by the United States, the colonial Power.
The Special Committee also heard 32 petitioners present the views of various Puerto Rican groups, parties and organizations. Many reiterated the Special Committee’s request that the General Assembly call on the United States Government to begin a just and equitable process to allow Puerto Ricans to exercise their right to self-determination, in accordance with Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) and the Special Committee’s numerous resolutions and decisions on the matter.
Petitioners also called on the United States Government immediately to suspend the death penalty in Puerto Rico, which was prohibited by the Commonwealth’s Constitution. They raised concerns about racial discrimination and economic exploitation, disproportionate prison sentences handed down to Puerto Rican independence fighters in United States jails, the supremacy of United States federal law over local legislation, and the environmental damage caused by the United States industries and nuclear testing on Puerto Rican islands.
Fernando Martin, Executive President of the Puerto Rican Independence Party, said it was particularly important that the General Assembly consider the question of Puerto Rico, since 2010 would mark the end of the Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism, as well as more than 200 years of emancipation and independence in the rest of Latin America. The Assembly’s consideration of the issue would exert moral and legal pressure on the United States Government to stop using pretexts and excuses to avoid complying with its decolonization obligations under international law.
But while some petitioners advocated independence, others were in favour of statehood. Jose Adames of the Literacy Center Anacona, said more than 95 per cent of Puerto Rico’s population had consistently voted either for direct statehood, as the fifty-first state of the Union or in a free association arrangement with the United States. Anthony Mele, Chairman of the Sixty-fifth Infantry Regiment Honour Task Force, said Puerto Ricans enjoyed citizenship and equal protection under the United States Bill of Rights. However, the sovereign rights of those 4 million people to vote in national elections were obstructed by arcane legislation that the United States Congress could amend easily. It was a national disgrace that Puerto Rican soldiers fought and died in wars under the United States flag, but were unable to vote for representatives in Congress. Statehood for Puerto Rico was a right, and the Special Committee must call on the United States Government to grant it.
Hector Ferrer of the Popular Democratic Party, however, favoured enhanced Commonwealth status, which would be non-territorial and non-colonial. Despite President Barack Obama’s commitment to resolving the case of Puerto Rico and guaranteeing a voice for the Commonwealth in discussions on its status, Congress had recently passed a bill which contravened that commitment. Two rounds of voting proposed in the bill was intended to manipulate the results in favour of statehood and did not provide for the commonwealth option. A constitutional assembly on status would be the best mechanism for determining Puerto Rico’s future.
Other petitioners addressing the Special Committee were representatives of the following organizations: Colegio de Abogados de Puerto Rico; People’s Law Office (on behalf of the National Lawyers Guild International Committee); American Association of Jurists; El Partido Nacionalista de Puerto Rico; Movimiento Liberador; PROELA; Puertorriquenos Unidos en Accion; Movimiento Independentista Nacional Hostosiano de Puerto Rico; Comite Puerto Rico en la ONU; Frente Autonomista; Coalicion Puertorriquena contra la Pena de Muerte; El Comite de Derechos Humanos de Puerto Rico; Colectivo de Trabajo por la Independencia de Puerto Rico Area de Mayaguez; Soho Art Festival; Socialist Workers Party; National Advancement for Puerto Rican Culture; Alianza por Libre Asociacion Soberana; Frente Patriotico Arecibeno; Primavida Inc.; Accion Democratica Puertorriquena; DC-6; Colectivo Puertorriqueno Pro Independencia; Hostos Grand Jury Resistance Campaign; Ministerio Latino; Movimiento de Afirmacion Viequense; Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques; Frente Socialista de Puerto Rico; and Comite Familiares y Amigos Avelino Gonzalez Claudio.
Members of delegations speaking today were the representatives of Dominica (on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement), Nicaragua, Panama, Ecuador, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Venezuela, Bolivia, Syria and Iran.
The Special Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, Tuesday, 16 June, to consider the questions of New Caledonia and Western Sahara.
Background
The Special Committee on the Situation with Regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples met this morning to hear petitioners from Puerto Rico.
Committee members had before them a report prepared by the Rapporteur (document A/AC.109/2009/L.13), which notes that, under the current arrangements, authority over Puerto Rico’s defence, international relations, external trade and monetary matters remains with the United States, while the Commonwealth has autonomy over taxes, social policies and most local affairs. While eligible for United States citizenship, people born in Puerto Rico do not have the right to vote in that country unless they reside on the mainland. In addition, the Commonwealth’s Supreme Court has recognized the existence of Puerto Rican citizenship in a court decision subsequently certified by the island’s Department of State.
Read more here.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
PIP ve cerca caso de Puerto Rico en asamblea general ONU
PIP ve cerca caso de Puerto Rico en asamblea general ONU
José Fernández Colón/Prensa Asociada
San Juan, Puerto Rico - 14 de junio de 2009
El Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño (PIP) trabajará para que la Asamblea General de la Organización de Naciones Unidas (ONU) vea el caso de Puerto Rico el año próximo, fecha que fijó ese organismo mundial para la erradicación del colonialismo en el planeta.
El presidente ejecutivo del PIP, Fernando Martín, dijo hoy, sábado, que espera que nuevamente sea aprobada la resolución del Comité de Descolonización, que sesiona el lunes en la sede de la ONU, a los efectos de que Puerto Rico ejercite su derecho de autodeterminación e independencia.
"Ahora la gran tarea es que los países que simpatizan con nuestra causa empujen en la ONU para que el caso se vea en la Asamblea General. Nuestra esperanza es que sea en el 2010, año en que se cumple el segundo decenio que declaró la Asamblea General para la erradicación de coloniaje, y el 2010 es el bicentenario del comienzo de independencia en América Latina", expresó Martín.
El dirigente del PIP dijo en entrevista con Prensa Asociada que espera que la resolución de este año sea aprobada nuevamente por unanimidad y que exhortará a los países latinoamericanos a que hagan fuerza para que el caso de Puerto Rico llegue a la Asamblea General el año entrante.
"El año pasado, no solamente la resolución tuvo apoyo unánime, sino que una vez más se insistió en la solicitud de que la Asamblea General examine el caso de Puerto Rico, cosa que no hecho desde 1953. Además, fue significativo por la presencia en sala de un número de delegaciones de países latinoamericanos no miembros del Comité expresándose en solidaridad con la resolución", indicó.
Panamá, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras y Nicaragua fueron los países no miembros del Comité de Descolonización que se expresaron solidarios con la resolución.
La resolución aprobada en el 2008, que se espera también se apruebe este año, reafirma principios como la "afirmación inequívoca a la aplicabilidad de la Resolución 151415, el derecho inalienable del pueblo de Puerto Rico a su autodeterminación e independencia".
A la vez, se insta a los Estados Unidos a que cree las condiciones propicias para que el pueblo puertorriqueño decida sobre su estatus, al igual que hay una referencia para el gobierno estadounidense libere a los presos políticos puertorriqueños.
Aunque no descarta que el sector anexionista intente sabotear la aprobación de la resolución bajo el argumento de que hay un proyecto radicado en el Congreso estadounidense por el comisionado residente Pedro Pierluisi para un proceso de definición de estatus, ve poco probable que eso suceda.
Según el profesor de derecho, el lunes la resolución va a ser presentada nuevamente por la delegación de Cuba, como lo ha sido tradicionalmente, aunque en 1991 el promotor de la misma fue Venezuela.
Sobre México y República Dominicana, que no forman parte del Comité de Descolonización y que el año pasado no hicieron expresiones de apoyo a la resolución, Martín dijo que espera que lo hagan cuando el asunto llegue a la Asamblea General o durante las reuniones preparatorias para "empujar el caso de Puerto Rico" al pleno de la ONU.
PIP foresees UN assembly will see island's case
José Fernandez Colón/Associated Press
June 14, 2009
The Puerto Rico Independence Party is working so that the General Assembly of the United Nations reviews Puerto Rico’s case next year, when the international organization has aimed to put an end to colonialism on the planet
Fernando Martín, executive president of the PIP, said Saturday he expects fat a resolution by the decolonization committee is approved again during a meeting on Monday at the UN's headquarters in New York allowing Puerto Rico to exercise its right to self-determination and independence.
"The great task now is that countries that empathize with our cause push the UN so the case is seen before the General Assembly. Our hope is that [we achieve this] in 2010, the year that marks the second decade since the General Assembly declared it would eradicate colonialism, and the bi-centennial anniversary of the start of independence in Latin America," said Martin.
The independence movement leader expects the unanimous approval of the resolution this year and will urge the Latin American countries to put pressure so that Puerto Rico’s case reaches the General Assembly next year.
"Last year, not only did the resolution gain unanimous approval but it was insisted again on the request that the General Assembly examine the ease of Puerto Rico, something that it has not done since 1953. In addition, it was significant [because of] the presence in the room of a number of delegations of non-committee member Latin American countries expressing solidarity with the resolution”, he said.
Panamá, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicargaua were the non-committee members that expressed solidarity with the resolution.
The resolution approved in 2008, which is also expected to be approved this year, reaffirms principles such as "the unequivocal affirmation to the applicability of Resolution 1514XV, the inalienable right of the people of Puerto Rico to its self-determination and independence”.
At the same time, it urges the United States to create the proper conditions so that the Puerto Rican people can decide on its status and for the US government to release Puerto Rican political prisoners.
Although he does not reject that the annexionist sector will try to sabotage the approval of the resolution based on the argument that there has been a bill filed in Congress by Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi for a process to define status, he sees little possibility in that happening.
The resolution will be presented again on Monday by the Cuban delegation, which has done so in the past, even though in 1991 it was Venezuela that promoted it, said Martin, a law professor.
Regarding Mexico arid the Dominican Republic — which are not part of the decolonization committee and which last year did not express support to the resolution — Martin said he expects the countries to support when the issue reaches the General Assembly or during preparatory meetings to “push Puerto Rico's case" at the UN's floor.
José Fernández Colón/Prensa Asociada
San Juan, Puerto Rico - 14 de junio de 2009
El Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño (PIP) trabajará para que la Asamblea General de la Organización de Naciones Unidas (ONU) vea el caso de Puerto Rico el año próximo, fecha que fijó ese organismo mundial para la erradicación del colonialismo en el planeta.
El presidente ejecutivo del PIP, Fernando Martín, dijo hoy, sábado, que espera que nuevamente sea aprobada la resolución del Comité de Descolonización, que sesiona el lunes en la sede de la ONU, a los efectos de que Puerto Rico ejercite su derecho de autodeterminación e independencia.
"Ahora la gran tarea es que los países que simpatizan con nuestra causa empujen en la ONU para que el caso se vea en la Asamblea General. Nuestra esperanza es que sea en el 2010, año en que se cumple el segundo decenio que declaró la Asamblea General para la erradicación de coloniaje, y el 2010 es el bicentenario del comienzo de independencia en América Latina", expresó Martín.
El dirigente del PIP dijo en entrevista con Prensa Asociada que espera que la resolución de este año sea aprobada nuevamente por unanimidad y que exhortará a los países latinoamericanos a que hagan fuerza para que el caso de Puerto Rico llegue a la Asamblea General el año entrante.
"El año pasado, no solamente la resolución tuvo apoyo unánime, sino que una vez más se insistió en la solicitud de que la Asamblea General examine el caso de Puerto Rico, cosa que no hecho desde 1953. Además, fue significativo por la presencia en sala de un número de delegaciones de países latinoamericanos no miembros del Comité expresándose en solidaridad con la resolución", indicó.
Panamá, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras y Nicaragua fueron los países no miembros del Comité de Descolonización que se expresaron solidarios con la resolución.
La resolución aprobada en el 2008, que se espera también se apruebe este año, reafirma principios como la "afirmación inequívoca a la aplicabilidad de la Resolución 151415, el derecho inalienable del pueblo de Puerto Rico a su autodeterminación e independencia".
A la vez, se insta a los Estados Unidos a que cree las condiciones propicias para que el pueblo puertorriqueño decida sobre su estatus, al igual que hay una referencia para el gobierno estadounidense libere a los presos políticos puertorriqueños.
Aunque no descarta que el sector anexionista intente sabotear la aprobación de la resolución bajo el argumento de que hay un proyecto radicado en el Congreso estadounidense por el comisionado residente Pedro Pierluisi para un proceso de definición de estatus, ve poco probable que eso suceda.
Según el profesor de derecho, el lunes la resolución va a ser presentada nuevamente por la delegación de Cuba, como lo ha sido tradicionalmente, aunque en 1991 el promotor de la misma fue Venezuela.
Sobre México y República Dominicana, que no forman parte del Comité de Descolonización y que el año pasado no hicieron expresiones de apoyo a la resolución, Martín dijo que espera que lo hagan cuando el asunto llegue a la Asamblea General o durante las reuniones preparatorias para "empujar el caso de Puerto Rico" al pleno de la ONU.
PIP foresees UN assembly will see island's case
José Fernandez Colón/Associated Press
June 14, 2009
The Puerto Rico Independence Party is working so that the General Assembly of the United Nations reviews Puerto Rico’s case next year, when the international organization has aimed to put an end to colonialism on the planet
Fernando Martín, executive president of the PIP, said Saturday he expects fat a resolution by the decolonization committee is approved again during a meeting on Monday at the UN's headquarters in New York allowing Puerto Rico to exercise its right to self-determination and independence.
"The great task now is that countries that empathize with our cause push the UN so the case is seen before the General Assembly. Our hope is that [we achieve this] in 2010, the year that marks the second decade since the General Assembly declared it would eradicate colonialism, and the bi-centennial anniversary of the start of independence in Latin America," said Martin.
The independence movement leader expects the unanimous approval of the resolution this year and will urge the Latin American countries to put pressure so that Puerto Rico’s case reaches the General Assembly next year.
"Last year, not only did the resolution gain unanimous approval but it was insisted again on the request that the General Assembly examine the ease of Puerto Rico, something that it has not done since 1953. In addition, it was significant [because of] the presence in the room of a number of delegations of non-committee member Latin American countries expressing solidarity with the resolution”, he said.
Panamá, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicargaua were the non-committee members that expressed solidarity with the resolution.
The resolution approved in 2008, which is also expected to be approved this year, reaffirms principles such as "the unequivocal affirmation to the applicability of Resolution 1514XV, the inalienable right of the people of Puerto Rico to its self-determination and independence”.
At the same time, it urges the United States to create the proper conditions so that the Puerto Rican people can decide on its status and for the US government to release Puerto Rican political prisoners.
Although he does not reject that the annexionist sector will try to sabotage the approval of the resolution based on the argument that there has been a bill filed in Congress by Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi for a process to define status, he sees little possibility in that happening.
The resolution will be presented again on Monday by the Cuban delegation, which has done so in the past, even though in 1991 it was Venezuela that promoted it, said Martin, a law professor.
Regarding Mexico arid the Dominican Republic — which are not part of the decolonization committee and which last year did not express support to the resolution — Martin said he expects the countries to support when the issue reaches the General Assembly or during preparatory meetings to “push Puerto Rico's case" at the UN's floor.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Cucaracha En Jamonilla Tulip Era Plan Para Mejorarle El Sabor
San Juan, Puerto Rico - Luego de que se diseminara la noticia de que el jueves pasado una consumidora halló una cucaracha entera en una lata de Jamonilla Tulip, su casa manufacturadora admitió que esto se trataba de un plan secerto para "mejorarle el sabor y la textura a este producto".
"Se supone que fuera una sorpresa, pero nos la arruinaron", lamentó Manuel Méndez, el encargado de mercadear la mercancía de la compañía que manufactura el alimento. "Por años la gente se nos ha quejado de la Jamonilla Tulip: que si no sabe a na', que si ni el perro de casa se la come, que si es solamente 'comida de huracán'... así que me dije, '¿ah sí?'. Acto seguido empecé a hablar con nuestros científicos de alimentos a ver cuál sería una forma económica y efectiva de añadirle sabor y textura al producto, y llegamos a la conclusión que si dejábamos los potes abiertos en el almacén, se le meterían cucarachas, las cuales podríamos luego atrapar en las latas para preservar su sabor... ¡y en realidad no fue fácil, porque muchas veces ni las mismas cucarachas se querían comer la dichosa jamonilla!".
El nuevo producto será próximamente enlatado en recipientes que destaquen las virtudes del nuevo "ingrediente secreto", con frases excitantes tales como: "¡Nuevo sabor!", "¡Ahora con más proteínas y minerales!" y "¡Más crujiente!". Sin embargo, la compañía distribuidora de la Jamonilla Tulip no sabe si ahora que la gente sabe cuál es su "ingrediente secreto", el plan de "reinventarse la jamonilla" será tan exitoso como lo hubiera sido de otro modo: "La realidad es que no debimos haber dejado una cucaracha entera ahí encima de la jamonilla: ésa fue mala nuestra, y me disculpo por eso.. ¡debimos haberla triturado y haberla mezclado más en la jamonilla, y así nadie se hubiera enterado! Pero pues, se vive y se aprende... ¡será para la próxima!", aseguró espeluznantemente.
Por su parte, muchos antiguos consumidores del alimento confirmaron las sospechas de la casa manufacturadora: "Yo no voy a poder comerme un sangüichito de mezcla sin tener esa imagen mental de la cucaracha sobre la jamonilla: ¡qué asco!", juró con cara de disgusto María Jiménez, una ama de casa que antes solía comprar ese producto a menudo. "O sea, yo prefiero mil veces comer en sitios como McDonald's y restaurantes chinos, donde tú sabes que hay cucarachas y ratones por to's la'os en la cocina, ¡pero al menos no los ves! Ojos que no ven, estómago que no siente náuseas". Aparte de los consumidores, otro personaje atribulado por todo este asunto es la latita parlanchina de la Jamonilla Tulip (la que en los anuncios ochentosos se la pasaba exclamando: "¡Tulip! ¡Tulip!"), quien aseguró: "¡A mí me repugnan las cucarachas! ¡No quiero ni imaginarme cuántos de esos malditos insectos albergué en mis adentros! Bueno, ahora si me disculpan, tengo que irme a pegarme un tiro".
"Se supone que fuera una sorpresa, pero nos la arruinaron", lamentó Manuel Méndez, el encargado de mercadear la mercancía de la compañía que manufactura el alimento. "Por años la gente se nos ha quejado de la Jamonilla Tulip: que si no sabe a na', que si ni el perro de casa se la come, que si es solamente 'comida de huracán'... así que me dije, '¿ah sí?'. Acto seguido empecé a hablar con nuestros científicos de alimentos a ver cuál sería una forma económica y efectiva de añadirle sabor y textura al producto, y llegamos a la conclusión que si dejábamos los potes abiertos en el almacén, se le meterían cucarachas, las cuales podríamos luego atrapar en las latas para preservar su sabor... ¡y en realidad no fue fácil, porque muchas veces ni las mismas cucarachas se querían comer la dichosa jamonilla!".
El nuevo producto será próximamente enlatado en recipientes que destaquen las virtudes del nuevo "ingrediente secreto", con frases excitantes tales como: "¡Nuevo sabor!", "¡Ahora con más proteínas y minerales!" y "¡Más crujiente!". Sin embargo, la compañía distribuidora de la Jamonilla Tulip no sabe si ahora que la gente sabe cuál es su "ingrediente secreto", el plan de "reinventarse la jamonilla" será tan exitoso como lo hubiera sido de otro modo: "La realidad es que no debimos haber dejado una cucaracha entera ahí encima de la jamonilla: ésa fue mala nuestra, y me disculpo por eso.. ¡debimos haberla triturado y haberla mezclado más en la jamonilla, y así nadie se hubiera enterado! Pero pues, se vive y se aprende... ¡será para la próxima!", aseguró espeluznantemente.
Por su parte, muchos antiguos consumidores del alimento confirmaron las sospechas de la casa manufacturadora: "Yo no voy a poder comerme un sangüichito de mezcla sin tener esa imagen mental de la cucaracha sobre la jamonilla: ¡qué asco!", juró con cara de disgusto María Jiménez, una ama de casa que antes solía comprar ese producto a menudo. "O sea, yo prefiero mil veces comer en sitios como McDonald's y restaurantes chinos, donde tú sabes que hay cucarachas y ratones por to's la'os en la cocina, ¡pero al menos no los ves! Ojos que no ven, estómago que no siente náuseas". Aparte de los consumidores, otro personaje atribulado por todo este asunto es la latita parlanchina de la Jamonilla Tulip (la que en los anuncios ochentosos se la pasaba exclamando: "¡Tulip! ¡Tulip!"), quien aseguró: "¡A mí me repugnan las cucarachas! ¡No quiero ni imaginarme cuántos de esos malditos insectos albergué en mis adentros! Bueno, ahora si me disculpan, tengo que irme a pegarme un tiro".
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Volunteer Initiatives
Grameen Foundation offers many ways for you to use your passion to help stop poverty. We offer exciting and challenging opportunities for volunteers across the globe to become part of the solution.
Bankers without Borders®
We are pleased to announce our newest initiative, Bankers without Borders®. Volunteers will dedicate their time, skills, knowledge and experience to support microfinance and technology sector developments in Asia, Africa, the Americas, the Middle East and in the United States. Whether you choose a U.S.-based opportunity or an engagement in a developing country, you will contribute to empowering the world’s poorest people, most often women, to escape poverty.
Mission Statement: Grameen Foundation's mission is to enable the poor, especially the poorest, to create a world without poverty.
Who we are
Grameen Foundation is a leader in the fight against poverty in Sub Saharan Africa, Asia, the Arab World, and the Americas. Since our beginning in 1997, our programs, resources and fresh ideas have helped more than 45 million poor people, mostly women and children, improve their lives.
Building strong local institutions that reach even more people in the poorest communities is a cornerstone of our work. We help microfinance institutions (MFIs), credit unions, cooperatives and poverty-focused organizations secure financing, develop strategies to attract and maintain a talented and dedicated workforce, and better track how quickly their clients are leaving poverty. Our technology initiatives focus on helping MFIs work more efficiently and serve more people and on providing new business opportunities and access for poor people.
Our team is guided by our values and our Grameen heritage, and our work is made possible by supporters who share our passion and commitment for defeating poverty through microfinance. We invite you to learn more about our work through our annual reports.
Awards and Recognition
Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance
Grameen Foundation was awarded the BBB Wise Giving Alliance Seal in 2007 in recognition of their outstanding industry practices. Before national charities can even apply to use the seal, they must undergo evaluation by the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, the nation’s most experienced charity evaluator. The evaluation process involves rigorous scrutiny of a charity’s governance, effectiveness, finances and solicitations and informational materials. The standards go beyond what government regulators require.
SEEP Network 2007 Member of the Year
Grameen Foundation has been honored as the 2007 Member of the Year by the Small Enterprise Education and Promotion (SEEP) Network. With 67 members whose activities cover more than 140 countries, the SEEP Network is the leading international network and promoter of best practices in enterprise development and financial services geared towards reducing poverty.
Fast Company Social Capitalist Awards for 2005, 2006, and 2007
The Fast Company/Monitor Social Capitalist Awards is the only award program that quantitatively measures a non-profit group’s innovation and social impact, as well as the viability and sustainability of its business model. For three years in a row, Grameen Foundation has been recognized for its groundbreaking work in expanding the reach of microfinance around the world while applying innovative technology to increase efficiency and provide new opportunities for the poor.
American Institute of Philanthropy Top-Rated Charity
Grameen Foundation is designated a top-rated charity from American Institute of Philanthropy for maintaining high financial standards including low fundraising costs, reasonable asset reserves, and an "open book" financial record policy.
Tech Museum Awards
In October 2004, the Tech Museum of Innovation announced the 25 laureates for the 2004 Tech Museum Awards. Grameen Technology Center was awarded one of five Accenture Economic Development Awards for its work on the Village Phone Program. The Tech Awards are designed to honor individuals and for-profit, public and not-for-profit organizations from around the world who are applying technology to profoundly improve the human condition in the areas of environment, economic development, education, equality and health.
Pro-Poor Innovation Award
In recognition of innovation in financial services for very poor clients, Grameen Foundation was awarded the Pro-Poor Innovation Award by the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) for our work on the Village Phone Program. The Pro-Poor Innovation Challenge (PPIC) gives awards up to $50,000 to microfinance organizations that have developed innovative methodologies to deepen poverty outreach and impact.
Bankers without Borders®
We are pleased to announce our newest initiative, Bankers without Borders®. Volunteers will dedicate their time, skills, knowledge and experience to support microfinance and technology sector developments in Asia, Africa, the Americas, the Middle East and in the United States. Whether you choose a U.S.-based opportunity or an engagement in a developing country, you will contribute to empowering the world’s poorest people, most often women, to escape poverty.
Mission Statement: Grameen Foundation's mission is to enable the poor, especially the poorest, to create a world without poverty.
Who we are
Grameen Foundation is a leader in the fight against poverty in Sub Saharan Africa, Asia, the Arab World, and the Americas. Since our beginning in 1997, our programs, resources and fresh ideas have helped more than 45 million poor people, mostly women and children, improve their lives.
Building strong local institutions that reach even more people in the poorest communities is a cornerstone of our work. We help microfinance institutions (MFIs), credit unions, cooperatives and poverty-focused organizations secure financing, develop strategies to attract and maintain a talented and dedicated workforce, and better track how quickly their clients are leaving poverty. Our technology initiatives focus on helping MFIs work more efficiently and serve more people and on providing new business opportunities and access for poor people.
Our team is guided by our values and our Grameen heritage, and our work is made possible by supporters who share our passion and commitment for defeating poverty through microfinance. We invite you to learn more about our work through our annual reports.
Awards and Recognition
Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance
Grameen Foundation was awarded the BBB Wise Giving Alliance Seal in 2007 in recognition of their outstanding industry practices. Before national charities can even apply to use the seal, they must undergo evaluation by the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, the nation’s most experienced charity evaluator. The evaluation process involves rigorous scrutiny of a charity’s governance, effectiveness, finances and solicitations and informational materials. The standards go beyond what government regulators require.
SEEP Network 2007 Member of the Year
Grameen Foundation has been honored as the 2007 Member of the Year by the Small Enterprise Education and Promotion (SEEP) Network. With 67 members whose activities cover more than 140 countries, the SEEP Network is the leading international network and promoter of best practices in enterprise development and financial services geared towards reducing poverty.
Fast Company Social Capitalist Awards for 2005, 2006, and 2007
The Fast Company/Monitor Social Capitalist Awards is the only award program that quantitatively measures a non-profit group’s innovation and social impact, as well as the viability and sustainability of its business model. For three years in a row, Grameen Foundation has been recognized for its groundbreaking work in expanding the reach of microfinance around the world while applying innovative technology to increase efficiency and provide new opportunities for the poor.
American Institute of Philanthropy Top-Rated Charity
Grameen Foundation is designated a top-rated charity from American Institute of Philanthropy for maintaining high financial standards including low fundraising costs, reasonable asset reserves, and an "open book" financial record policy.
Tech Museum Awards
In October 2004, the Tech Museum of Innovation announced the 25 laureates for the 2004 Tech Museum Awards. Grameen Technology Center was awarded one of five Accenture Economic Development Awards for its work on the Village Phone Program. The Tech Awards are designed to honor individuals and for-profit, public and not-for-profit organizations from around the world who are applying technology to profoundly improve the human condition in the areas of environment, economic development, education, equality and health.
Pro-Poor Innovation Award
In recognition of innovation in financial services for very poor clients, Grameen Foundation was awarded the Pro-Poor Innovation Award by the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) for our work on the Village Phone Program. The Pro-Poor Innovation Challenge (PPIC) gives awards up to $50,000 to microfinance organizations that have developed innovative methodologies to deepen poverty outreach and impact.
Monday, June 1, 2009
The Dark Side of Plan Colombia
by TEO BALLVÉ
This article appeared in the June 15, 2009 edition of The Nation.
May 27, 2009.
Research support for this article was provided by the Puffin Foundation Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute, with additional support from Project Word, a Massachusetts-based media nonprofit organization.
On May 14 Colombia's attorney general quietly posted notice on his office's website of a public hearing that will decide the fate of Coproagrosur, a palm oil cooperative based in the town of Simití in the northern province of Bolívar. A confessed drug-trafficking paramilitary chief known as Macaco had turned over to the government the cooperative's assets, which he claims to own, as part of a victim reparations program.
Macaco, whose real name is Carlos Mario Jiménez, was one of the bloodiest paramilitary commanders in Colombia's long-running civil war and has confessed to the murder of 4,000 civilians. He and his cohorts are also largely responsible for forcing 4.3 million Colombians into internal refugee status, the largest internally displaced population in the world after Sudan's. In May 2008, Macaco was extradited to the United States on drug trafficking and "narco-terrorism" charges. He is awaiting trial in a jail cell in Washington, DC.
Macaco turned himself in to authorities in late 2005 as part of a government amnesty program that requires paramilitary commanders to surrender their ill-gotten assets--including lands obtained through violent displacement. Macaco offered up Coproagrosur as part of the deal.
But the attorney general's notice made no mention that Coproagrosur had received a grant in 2004 from the US Agency for International Development (USAID). That grant--paid for through Plan Colombia, the multibillion-dollar US aid package aimed at fighting the drug trade--appears to have put drug-war dollars into the hands of a notorious paramilitary narco-trafficker, in possible violation of federal law. Colombia's paramilitaries are on the State Department's list of foreign terrorist organizations. USAID's due diligence process "did not fail," according to an official response from the US embassy there, because Macaco was not officially listed among Coproagrosur's owners.
Since 2002 Plan Colombia has authorized about $75 million a year for "alternative development" programs like palm oil production. These programs provide funds for agribusiness partnerships with campesinos in order to wean them from cultivating illicit crops like coca, which can be used to make cocaine. These projects are concentrated in parts of northern Colombia that were ground zero for the mass displacement of campesinos.
USAID officials say the projects provide an alternative to drug-related violence for a battle-scarred country. They insist that the agency screens vigilantly for illegal activity and has not rewarded cultivators of stolen lands. But a study of USAID internal documents, corporate filings and press reports raises questions about the agency's vetting of applicants, in particular its ability to detect their links to narco-paramilitaries, violent crimes and illegal land seizures.
In addition to the $161,000 granted to Coproagrosur, USAID also awarded $650,000 to Gradesa, a palm company with two accused paramilitary-linked narco-traffickers on its board of directors. A third palm company, Urapalma, also accused of links with paramilitaries, nearly won approval for a grant before its application stalled because of missing paperwork. Critics say such grants defeat the antidrug mission of Plan Colombia.
"Plan Colombia is fighting against drugs militarily at the same time it gives money to support palm, which is used by paramilitary mafias to launder money," says Colombian Senator Gustavo Petro, an outspoken critic of the palm industry. "The United States is implicitly subsidizing drug traffickers."
Keep reading here.
This article appeared in the June 15, 2009 edition of The Nation.
May 27, 2009.
Research support for this article was provided by the Puffin Foundation Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute, with additional support from Project Word, a Massachusetts-based media nonprofit organization.
On May 14 Colombia's attorney general quietly posted notice on his office's website of a public hearing that will decide the fate of Coproagrosur, a palm oil cooperative based in the town of Simití in the northern province of Bolívar. A confessed drug-trafficking paramilitary chief known as Macaco had turned over to the government the cooperative's assets, which he claims to own, as part of a victim reparations program.
Macaco, whose real name is Carlos Mario Jiménez, was one of the bloodiest paramilitary commanders in Colombia's long-running civil war and has confessed to the murder of 4,000 civilians. He and his cohorts are also largely responsible for forcing 4.3 million Colombians into internal refugee status, the largest internally displaced population in the world after Sudan's. In May 2008, Macaco was extradited to the United States on drug trafficking and "narco-terrorism" charges. He is awaiting trial in a jail cell in Washington, DC.
Macaco turned himself in to authorities in late 2005 as part of a government amnesty program that requires paramilitary commanders to surrender their ill-gotten assets--including lands obtained through violent displacement. Macaco offered up Coproagrosur as part of the deal.
But the attorney general's notice made no mention that Coproagrosur had received a grant in 2004 from the US Agency for International Development (USAID). That grant--paid for through Plan Colombia, the multibillion-dollar US aid package aimed at fighting the drug trade--appears to have put drug-war dollars into the hands of a notorious paramilitary narco-trafficker, in possible violation of federal law. Colombia's paramilitaries are on the State Department's list of foreign terrorist organizations. USAID's due diligence process "did not fail," according to an official response from the US embassy there, because Macaco was not officially listed among Coproagrosur's owners.
Since 2002 Plan Colombia has authorized about $75 million a year for "alternative development" programs like palm oil production. These programs provide funds for agribusiness partnerships with campesinos in order to wean them from cultivating illicit crops like coca, which can be used to make cocaine. These projects are concentrated in parts of northern Colombia that were ground zero for the mass displacement of campesinos.
USAID officials say the projects provide an alternative to drug-related violence for a battle-scarred country. They insist that the agency screens vigilantly for illegal activity and has not rewarded cultivators of stolen lands. But a study of USAID internal documents, corporate filings and press reports raises questions about the agency's vetting of applicants, in particular its ability to detect their links to narco-paramilitaries, violent crimes and illegal land seizures.
In addition to the $161,000 granted to Coproagrosur, USAID also awarded $650,000 to Gradesa, a palm company with two accused paramilitary-linked narco-traffickers on its board of directors. A third palm company, Urapalma, also accused of links with paramilitaries, nearly won approval for a grant before its application stalled because of missing paperwork. Critics say such grants defeat the antidrug mission of Plan Colombia.
"Plan Colombia is fighting against drugs militarily at the same time it gives money to support palm, which is used by paramilitary mafias to launder money," says Colombian Senator Gustavo Petro, an outspoken critic of the palm industry. "The United States is implicitly subsidizing drug traffickers."
Keep reading here.
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