NEWS FROM
LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF

June 27, 2007

For more information contact Emily Sollie at esollie@lwr.org or 410-230-2802.

In this news release:

1. House Passes Increase in Social and Humanitarian Aid for Colombia
2. Lutheran World Relief Alerts Health Kit Donors of Contaminated Toothpaste

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House Passes Increase in Social and Humanitarian Aid for Colombia

Baltimore, June 27, 2007 — Lutheran World Relief applauds the positive steps taken last week by the U.S. House of Representatives toward a more constructive U.S. policy regarding Colombia.  The 2008 Foreign Operations Bill includes a change in the makeup of aid to Colombia, which will increase money for alternative crop development, judicial and police reforms, and human rights protection in Colombia and decrease the amount of funding for military efforts.

For the first time, provisions are included in the Foreign Operations Bill that require the U.S. State Department to certify that Colombian armed forces are not violating land and property rights of Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities.

“This is a significant step toward a more peaceful U.S. policy in Colombia,” said Rebecca Phares, LWR’s Director of Public Policy and Advocacy.

Since 2000, the U.S. has consistently increased military aid to Colombia.  The continuous increases resulted in approximately 80 percent of aid going to military and police use, with only 20 percent dedicated to meeting to social and humanitarian needs.

As a result of the House passing the 2008 Foreign Operations Bill last week those previous percentages will be more evenly distributed. Now, 55 percent of U.S. aid will be designated for military and police use, while 45 percent will be for social and humanitarian aid. The Bill will be considered by the Senate in late July.

This increase in social and humanitarian aid will benefit those communities most affected by the conflict. Aid can now be given to the development of programs which encourage farmers to produce alternative crops and aid to provide judicial institutions with the resources they need to investigate abuses and collaboration with armed groups.

LWR educates and empowers its U.S. constituents to advocate to the U.S. government for a more just policy toward Colombia through its Sal y Luz project.  LWR congratulates all who have been part of its Sal y Luz project and all who have advocated for peace in Colombia over the years for helping to make this gain possible.   

For more information see www.lwr.org/advocacy.

Lutheran World Relief Alerts Health Kit Donors of Contaminated Toothpaste

Baltimore, June 27, 2007 — Lutheran World Relief is issuing an urgent alert to anyone involved in the assembly of LWR health kits.

LWR asks that donors double-check all toothpaste being included in their health kits.  Please discontinue use of any toothpaste manufactured in China, as well as any Colgate toothpaste with the label “made in South Africa.”  Many of these toothpastes are found in dollar stores in certain states.

News reports have indicated that certain toothpastes contain small amounts of the toxic chemical diethylene glycol (DEG).  Among these is counterfeit Colgate toothpaste, which is labeled “made in South Africa,” even though Colgate does not import toothpaste from that country.

Please note that the toothpastes may contain DEG even if the chemical is not listed as an ingredient.

In addition to containing DEG, the toothpastes do not contain fluoride, the key active ingredient that protects teeth.  Even if these toothpastes are relatively low in toxicity, they are certainly ineffective.

Due to these concerns, the Food and Drug Administration has warned consumers not to purchase any toothpaste manufactured in China, as well as the counterfeit Colgate toothpaste that says “made in South Africa.”  A list of toothpaste products containing DEG can be found on FDA’s Web site: www.fda.gov.

LWR has notified its warehouses of the situation.  Individuals may continue to ship health kits to LWR’s warehouses. However, LWR asks that you first double-check each one to make sure they do not contain the potentially contaminated toothpastes.

In addition, LWR is asking individuals to distribute this information as widely as possible among parish-groups and others who are involved in the assembly of health kits.

Last year LWR distributed more than 130,000 health kits to disaster victims and refugees in 11 countries.  The kits are assembled by U.S. Lutherans and distributed internationally through LWR and its network of partner organizations.

For more information about LWR health kits, please contact Trevor Knoblich, Program Associate for Material Resources, at 410-230-2823 or tknoblich@lwr.org.

WHO IS LWR? Lutheran World Relief, an international nonprofit organization, works to end poverty and injustice by empowering some of the world's most impoverished communities to help themselves. With partners in 35 countries, LWR seeks to promote sustainable development with justice and dignity by helping communities bring about change for healthy, safe and secure lives; engage in Fair Trade; promote peace and reconciliation; and respond to emergencies. LWR is headquartered in Baltimore, Md. and has worked in international development and relief since 1945.

Lutheran World Relief is a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), individuals and parish groups in international relief, development, advocacy and social responsibility.