A study about a land lease agreement between the Swiss company Addax Bioenergy and communities in Sierra Leone has raised concerns related to food security, access to water, and lifelihoods of the affected communities and farmers. The study had been commissioned by the Swiss Bread for all and by two German development organizations, Bread for the World and Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (EED).

In a referendum held in Italy on 12-13 June, more than 27 million people expressed their will to repeal a law permitting water to be treated as a commodity, with a participation rate of 54.8% of voters, of whom almost 96% voted in favour. “There is a strong will to take personal responsibility in the management of common goods” – commented Pastor Letizia Tomassone, Vice President of the Federation Protestant Churches in Italy (FEPC).

“Natural resources and common goods such as water must be shared in a just and sustainable manner,” states the closing message of the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation (IEPC), at which 1,000 activists from around the world gathered during the week of 17-25 May on the University of the West Indies (Mona) campus near Kingston, Jamaica.

When Archbishop Valentine Mokiwa visited a gold mining operation in Tanzania, he came across something he never expected to see: a world-class runway and sprawling houses with private swimming pools.

Exploring how churches can positively respond to the challenge of climate change and environmental destruction was the aim of one of the workshops of the IEPC.

Tuvalu, a Polynesian island nation in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Australia, is home to more than 11,000 people, whose very existence, which at one time was tied to the ocean and its bounty, is now threatened by rising ocean water levels.

Food for Life CampaignAction Alert11 May 2011

BackgroundThe UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is currently developing “voluntary guidelines on responsible governance of tenure of land and other natural resources”.Though non-binding, such guidelines are recognized as internationally accepted standards based on existing legal obligations. They provide a framework that governments can use when developing their own strategies, policies,...

In many countries, rural communities, in particular indigenous peoples, rural women and peasant communities, are struggling to protect the integrity of Creation and their rights to water, land and territory.In Guatemala, the Lutheran church (ILUGUA) accompanies communities who are trying to safeguard the forests, water, and biodiversity of the Las Granadillas Mountain which are threatened by excessive logging carried out by big landholders.

Many fear that climate change may lead to increased levels of conflict among states, communities and people. For example, increasing water scarcity may lead to clashes between groups with conflicting water needs such as pastoralists and farmers.

Lack of access to water and sanitation is a severe problem for Palestinians. Since it occupied the West Bank in 1967, Israel has denied them access to the waters of the Jordan River and severely limited their access to other local aquifers.