2019 EarthAction Report
A Brief Overview of EarthAction’s Projects & Campaigns
EarthAction’s Spotlight Project Builds on Global Award
In 2018, EarthAction was awarded the International Best Climate Solutions award for our Spotlight Project on climate change. We were chosen for our “Effectiveness in Communicating Climate Change Threats and Opportunities”. In 2019 we continued our work on this project. Each of our Global Spotlight Reports focused on climate solutions for the top twenty greenhouse gas emitting countries. For more info visit: climatescorecard.org
Since 2015 EarthAction has collaborated with The Global Citizens’ Initiative (TGCI) on projects aimed at stabilizing our global climate. Together with TGCI, we created the Spotlight Project. Every month we invite our 20 Country Managers, one each from the top twenty greenhouse gas emitting countries, to research and write an Action Alert focused on one important climate change issue in their country. Each Action Alert provides brief background information on the selected issue, suggests an action for the reader to take—to contact a policymaker with a specific request—and provides the policymaker’s contact information. We compile these country reports into Global Spotlight Reports that we post online and circulate to our network of over 5,000 environmental organizations, policymakers, journalists, and concerned citizens.
2020 Action
Every month, 2020 Action and the 2020 Action Education Fund educate and mobilize thousands of US citizens engaging them in communication with US policymakers on important peace and environmental issues. Each month, 2020 produces a timely Action Alert with meaningful actions for citizens to take to protect our environment and security—usually to contact a policymaker facing a critical decision. For details, read 2020’s 2019 Action Report at 2020Action.org.
The Elders Project in Colombia
The Elders Project (TEP) continued with its mission to work with and provide assistance to the traditional authorities (Mamos) of the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta (SNSM) in Colombia. In 2019, Rick Harlow, the Project Director, made several trips to Colombia to work directly with the traditional authorities to help strengthen their spiritual and traditional practices. The Elders Project has been supported by grants from the Save Our Spirits (SOS) Fund, and others.
Support for Indigenous Peoples—Save Our Spirits
In 2019, with funds provided by the Save Our Spirits (SOS) Fund, EarthAction continued to support organizations that work directly with indigenous peoples in several countries to help them preserve, strengthen, and pass on the spiritual practices of their elders and communities.
American Friends of the Palestinian House of Friendship
In December 2019, EarthAction’s Board of Directors voted unanimously for EarthAction to become the sponsor of the American Friends of the Palestinian House of Friendship (AFPHF). Lois Barber, EarthAction’s Founder and Executive Director has enthusiastically served on the Advisory Board of AFPHF for many years. AFPHF raises support for the Palestinian House of Friendship (PHF), a non-profit, non-governmental, politically independent humanitarian organization in the West Bank city of Nablus, Palestine. PHF organizes a variety of activities ranging from civic education to programs in democracy and local culture. These activities include workshops, camps, lectures, seminars, concerts, a recording studio, a skate park and folkloric festivals.
Smiling Faces summer camp for girls and boys ages 6 to 14 is PHF’s crowning achievement. The summer camp targets children and youth who are very poor, from families with unemployed parents, families in which parents are separated, and families whose fathers are in Israeli prisons. The camp’s rationale is to give these children a taste of childhood pleasures, protect them from delinquency and give their families a sense of hope. Activities include painting, crafts, music, drama, dance, computer training, visiting local academic and civic institutions, and sports. Everything the children do is within the framework of conflict resolution and mediation, assisting the children and youth to build peace and self-respect within themselves and to address their differences productively.
EarthAction is pleased to be the home of this energetic and focused project that brings joy, hope, stability and friendship to many young people whose lives are more than challenged. PHF is dependent on the generous contributions of individual supporters, as it does not receive any funding from the Palestinian Authority.
Through our website, email and social media, we have consistently informed thousands of organizations and people worldwide providing them with information and tools to take action on many of the world’s most critical environment, development, peace and justice issues.
With Gratitude
EarthAction thanks all our Partner Organizations, individual members, staff, donors and Board members for their ongoing participation and support. Special thanks to the Thomas D. Hormel Trust, the Stewart R. Mott Foundation, and the Save Our Spirits Fund.
