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``` Date: Sun, 20 Feb 94 20:25:11 -0800 From: hn0003@handsnet.org Subject: HandsNet WEEKLY DIGEST 2/12-19

HANDSNET WEEKLY DIGEST February 12 - 19 News from HandsNet's Information Forums

HandsNet is a national, nonprofit network connecting organizations working on social and economic justice issues. Members use HandsNet to make new contacts, work collaboratively and to find and publish information, news and research on affordable housing, children's issues, hunger prevention, health reform, legal services, substance abuse prevention, rural developmentThe Weekly Digest highlights a small selection from the hundreds of valuable policy, program and resource articles posted each week on HandsNet.

For information on joining HandsNet, please send your street address to: HN0012@handsnet.org

Instructions on how to request more information on items mentioned in the Digest appear at the end of this document.

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Alerts:

"ALERT- SUPPORT MANDELA & THE ANC" The Fund for Democratic Elections in South Africa urgently needs financial support as South Africa heads to its first-ever democratic elections in April, says Kevin Reed of NAACP Legal Defense Fund, HN2587. Call 1-800-MANDELA to find out how to contribute. (Alerts)

Balanced Budget Amendement:

"WHAT WOULD BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT MEAN TO YOU?" Jobs lost, Social Security threatened, health reform endangered, anti-crime measures cuts, disaster aid slowed, low-income programs slashed. The Coalition on Human Needs, HN0079, says support responsible deficit reduction -- oppose the Balanced Budget Amendment. (Budget, Tax & Policy/Balanced Budget Amendment)

Deadline for "BAL. BUDGET SIGN-ON FOR LOCAL ORGS" is TUESDAY, FEB 22. See letter and contacts from Coalition on Human Needs, HN0079. (Alerts)

The Administration says a five-year, $600 billion package would be needed to eliminate budget shortfalls by the year 2000. "BALANCED BUDGET IMPACT ON STATES" projects tax increases for the average taxpayer and total cuts in domestic programs by state. HN0021 (Budget, Tax & Policy/Balanced Budget Amendment/Analyses of the BBA)

Children, Youth & Family:

Focus on family strengths, not deficits, says The National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse, HN2687, in their "REVIEW- COMMUNITY CHILD ABUSE PROGRAMS." Project sponsors should have prior successful experience and relationships in the community. (Children, Youth & Families/Child Welfare/Child Maltreatment & CPS/Child Abuse Prevention)

"CAMPAIGN FOR CHILD SUPPORT ASSURANCE" The Center for Law and Social Policy, HN30067 is sponsoring public forums to build a national, grassroots network of advocacy for child support. Forums have been held in Long Island, Seattle, Sacramento, CA and Columbus, OH. Additional forums will be held in Atlanta, Albany, NY and Chicago. (Children, Youth & Families/Family Economic Security/Child Support/Child Support Assurance)

Earned Income Credit:

Some 13.8 million families received EIC benefits totalling $13 billion for tax year 1992. Unfortunately, many eligible families don't know about the EIC, don't know how to apply or think they're not eligible. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, HN0026, offers help in getting the word out. The new "EIC FORUM" provides basics in How to Publicize the EIC, plus handy fact sheets that will soon be available as translations in other languages. (Children, Youth & Famillies/Family Economic Security/Earned Income Credit)

Farmworkers:

"US ASSERTS RICO LAW BREADTH" In a recent opinion with significance for farmworkers, the Supreme Court continues to construe RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) based upon literal terms of the statute. Growers' arguments that RICO was not intended to cover them are of no merit, but RICO complaints should be drafted carefully, as courts remain hostile to the broad sweep of RICO, says Migrant Legal Action Program, HN1645. (Legal Services/Substantive Law/Migrants/Migrants, Etc.)

Federal Register:

HIV-Prevention Community Planning, Homelessness Demo. Program, Section 8 Loan Management, Youthbuild Programs and Drug Free Schools are among dozens of abstracts posted this week by Nat'l Clearinghouse for Legal Services, HN0111. (Legal Services/Federal Register)

Funding Community Change:

Seek out local actors! Every community has capable people and organizations. Every neighborhood is unique; local assets will vary. Citizens working together are essential to any solution in low-income communities. Anne Hallett, executive director of the Wieboldt Foundation, shares what she's learned on "FOUNDATIONS AND COMMUNITY BUILDING." HN3025 (Children, Youth & Families/ Comprehensive Strategies/Thinking Comprehensively)

"NOFA ISSUED FOR COMMUNITY OUTREACH PARTNERSHIP" Grants up to $750,000 for institutions of higher education to establish community outreach partnership centers to solve urban problems in housing, economic development, neighborhood revitalization, infrastructure, health care, and other areas of community organizing. HN0340 (Housing - Cmty Dev/CDBG/News Alerts & Inquiries)

Health:

"84% SAY THERE'S A HEALTH CRISIS." And while 74% believe the Clinton plan will mean a big tax increase, it still garners majority support. Families USA, HN0156, interprets two recent polls. (Health Issues/Nat'l Health Care Reform/Polling Data)

Housing & Community Development:

The largest increases in the HUD budget are for rental assistance (up $1.3 billion), homeless programs ($452 million) and the new Moving to Independence housing choice program ($149 million.) The largest cuts are in elderly housing ($1.044 million), various public housing programs and HOME ($275 million). See "CCC 2/14 LEG/REG UPDATE" from Karen Stokes, HN0340, (in Housing - Cmty Dev/Housing Policy/Fed Leg/CCC Weekly Update) plus detailed analysis of programs throughout the Housing & Cmty Dev Forum.

"INTERSTATE BRANCHING BILL MOVES" and community groups are concerned -- low income neighborhoods may face branch closings; decision-making is likely to be more centralized; and states may lose ability to regulate interstate branches says the Neighborhood Revitalization Project of Center for Community Change, HN0280. (Housing - Cmty Dev/Cmty Reinvest & Credit/Fed Leg/Interst. Branching)

Housing Assistance Council, HN0143, seeks affordable housing projects in rural areas that faced environmental hurdles to development, such as pesticide contamination, asbestos, or wetlands, for a research project. "ENVIR. HURDLES FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING (Housing - Cmty Dev/Local Stories/Inquiries & Responses)

Hunger Action:

TEFAP food commodities may not be here next year - the Administration's proposed budget for 1995 contains no funds for food purchasing. See "WHAT WE MUST DO," "WHO TO WRITE TO NOW" and a "DISTRIBUTION SITE LETTER" from CA Emergency FoodLink, HN0066. (Community Issues/Hunger Action/Save TEFAP)

"NATIONAL HUNGER MEASURE UPDATE" Creation of annual baseline hunger and food insecurity measures could prove as significant as creation of national poverty measures in the early 1960s. Hunger and poverty advocates should watch for alerts for action needed as the April 1 deadline for delivery of a final instrument to the Census Bureau approaches. Contact John Cook, Center on Hunger, Poverty & Nutrition Policy at Tufts Univ., HN1655 and Lynn Parker, Food Research & Action Center, HN0050. (Community Issues/Hunger Action/Hunger Studies & Abstracts)

Immigrant Earthquake Aid:

The Senate approved an amendment to the CA earthquake supplemental by Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) denying long-term assistance to victims of the L.A. quake who are not in the U.S. legally. Undocumented immigrants could receive short-term emergency and medical aid for up to 90 days, but not long-term loans and grants for rental assistance, home repairs or rebuilding businesses. Coalition on Human Needs, HN0079 "LEGISLATIVE UPDATE" (Budget, Tax & Policy)

The results will probably include increased homelessness and public health and safety problems, says Coalition for Human Immigrant Rights, HN3217, in "DISASTER RELIEF - UNDOC IMMIGRANTS." (Open Forum/L.A. Quake Updates)

Legal Services:

"POOR NOT SEEKING LEGAL HELP" A recent ABA survey found 71% of low-income households and 61% with moderate incomes do not turn to the justice system for problems that it could help resolve. Many don't know they are entitled to free legal services, said the head of an ABA group on legal services to the poor, and many feel the justice system can't help them even if they got free assistance. HN1283 (Legal Services/State Advocacy/Texas/News & Announcements)

An innovative "PRO BONO HOTLINE" in Richmond, VA enables a legal services program to reach and serve many more clients with little or no new funding. For information contact Anne Walker of the Pro Bono Hotline for the Virginia Bar Association, 804/788-8661. Her pamphet describing the project and how it can be replicated, "Sharing the Burden," is available for $2 from the ABA Services Center, Financial Services, 750 N. Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, IL 60611, 312/988-5522. (Legal Services/Subst Law/ACCESS TO JUSTICE/Pubs & Reports)

Networking:

Have any states used public assistance recipient lists to get more diverse jury pools, asks Mid-MN Legal Assistance, HN0518. (Legal Services/Public Forum)

"EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND KIDS?" Rebecca Stone of Chapin Hall Center for Children, HN3025, asks if anyone has done analysis of EZ's potential impact on children and families. (Open Forum)

Among other new inquiries in Open Forum this week, members ask about Incest Intervention, Rural Alternative Schools, Lease-Purchase/Homeownership and Fundraising in Chicago. Post a response or your question (in Open Forum.)

50 new members came online during the past two weeks. See "WHO'S NEW ON HANDSNET" and state lists of all members (in Using HandsNet/Who's On HandsNet/HandsNet Members.)

Rural Issues:

"LINK BETWEEN TOURISM AND ENVIRONMENT" Economically-depressed rural areas are targeting eco-tourism to balance economic growth by protecting natural and cultural resources that attract visitors. For more information subscribe to the newsletters of The Conservation Fund, 704/525-6300, and Scenic America 202/833-4300. HN2393 (Rural Issues/NCexChange/Environment)

North Carolina women are more like to die of heart disease or stroke, contract a sexually transmitted disease, lose an infant or die during pregnancy than their counterparts across the U.S., and they have greater unmet needs for health and human services than the state's men. The situation is dramatically worse for black women. See the ten part series on "NORTH CAROLINA WOMEN'S HEALTH" (in Rural/NCexChange/Special Populations/Women & Family/Health.) Print copies of In Sickness and Health are available for $15 from NC Equity, HN0847.

Substance Abuse:

An alcohol "HEALTH WARNING POSTER" in PageMaker 4.0 for Macintosh and PC users from the Lake County Citizens Committee can be downloaded and customized to meet your needs. HN1267 (Community Issues/Join Together - Substance Abuse/Tech Assistance/Tools for Change)

Smoking, drinking and illegal drug use cost the U.S. an astonomical $238 billion a year in lost productivity, premature deaths and increased health care, according to a recent study by Brandeis University. A "SAMPLE OP-ED" piece by Join Together, HN1853, on the importance of providing substance abuse services under health care reform can be easily tailored for your local newspaper. (Community Issues/Join Together - Substance Abuse/Hot Off the Press/Press Releases)

Welfare Reform:

While restating goals and emphasizing that welfare reform remains a priority, the President's budget did not address funding of the program, except to say that it will be budget neutral. Coalition on Human Needs, HN0079 "LEGISLATIVE UPDATE" (Budget, Tax & Policy)

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We encourage you to print the Digest to route through your office and distribute to colleagues who are not yet online.

For more information on a specific item, you may send an electronic mail message to the author at the six character id given in the reference. The id starts with HN, followed by four digits. To address your message, use this six character id and add "@handsnet.org" (without the quotes.) HandsNet ids use zeros, not alphabetic o's.

For items with no author's id, and for general information on HandsNet, contact:

Sue Dormanen, HandsNet Editor HN0003@handsnet.org 20195 Stevens Creek Blvd., Suite 120 Cupertino, CA 95014 408/257-4500 Fax: 408/257-4560

Date: Wed, 9 Mar 1994 12:59:13 -0800 From: George Gundrey - IGC News Desk

P E A C E N E T W O R L D N E W S S E R V I C E

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The PeaceNet World News Service (PWN) would like to announce a new digest. The America Latina digest features news in Spanish covering all of Latin America and the Caribbean. Each day, PWN America Latina delivers three to ten articles along with a table of contents to you as a single e-mail message.

PeaceNet World News Service brings relevant news not found elsewhere. PeaceNet World News Service is a non-profit, non-commercial service dedicated to a free and balanced flow of multi-sourced news featuring first hand international news about the environment, human rights, development, the United Nations process, and the work of non- government organizations.

The anchor of the PeaceNet World News Service is the Inter Press Service (IPS). IPS is ranked the world's fifth largest in terms of media clients. Virtually invisible in the United States, IPS aims to improve South->South and South->North news flows. While western news agencies tend to focus on political affairs, coups, crises and conflicts, IPS delivers news that is analytical and contextualized, news that stresses global interdependence. IPS's writers are all local people covering the areas in which they live. IPS articles appear three days after copyright. In addition to IPS, the PWN America Latina digest will feature regular news from La Agencia Latinoamericana de Informacio'n (ALAI), Third World Network's Revista del Sur, Tercer Mundo Econo'mico and other sources in Spanish from PeaceNet and EcoNet.

A recent digest included the following topics:

AMERICA LATINA: Ayuda norteamericana privilegia lucha antidrogas SUIZA: Instan a no vender repuestos de aviones usados en Chiapas AMERICA LATINA: EE.UU. concedera pequeno aumento en ayuda en 1995 AMERICA CENTRAL: Mujeres: mas deberes que derechos MEXICO: Los ganaderos, principales victimas de una eventual paz BOLIVIA: Politicos acusados de vinculos con narcotrafico PERU: Inversion extranjera por 1.608 millones de dolares BRASIL: Industria del auto amenazada por aumento de impuestos BRASIL: Enfermedades curables continuan matando a pobres HAITI: Divergencias profundas entre partidarios de Aristide

The cost of the America Latina Digest is $4 per month. Latin America is just one of the digests available from PWN. For a complete brochure with prices and information about receiving a free month, e-mail to pwn-info@igc.apc.org. ```