June 2010

Dear friends and supporters of Inter Pares,

When an oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico this April, we anxiously followed each newscast about the disaster, and its effect on the water, land, and people nearby. The urgency was palpable, the danger clear, and the stories told.

Today I am asking you to make a donation to Inter Pares that will support some of the people whose important stories do not usually get front page coverage.

Around the world, situations exist in which communities' land and livelihood are in peril. But these disasters unfold over a longer period, and happen to people farther away. Instead of a media presence ready to write about the story - there is silence, and the voices of those affected are barely heard.

An example is in Asia where small-scale farmers in coastal areas are being displaced by aquaculture industries that feed western consumer demands. As powerful interests force people off the land and into poverty, this destructive industry contaminates water sources, erodes the quality of the soil, and threatens local food supplies.

Like those affected by the oil rig disaster, people are defending their homes and their livelihoods from the disaster of irresponsible use of coastal areas. In Bangladesh, Inter Pares counterpart Nijera Kori helps communities organize to defend themselves from the often violent takeover of communal coastal land for the production of shrimp for export. Without their collective voice, that defence would be impossible.

Our impulse to respond to the nightly news, and reach out to help however we can, is a part of what it means to be human. As such, in our June Bulletin, we share equally urgent but less frequently covered stories of people that we work with. A gift to Inter Pares helps ordinary people who are defending the land they call home, and protecting the environment from the slow disasters of greed and degradation.

Thank you for your generosity,

David Bruer
Asia Program Manager