[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 111 (Friday, August 7, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1570]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


        SUCCESS OF THE CHRISTIAN REFORMED WORLD RELIEF COMMITTEE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. VERNON J. EHLERS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 6, 1998

  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, as Congress moves forward on consideration 
of spending for foreign affairs, I would like to draw attention to the 
successes of the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) 
headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
  In 1997, CRWRC received a USAID grant of $75,000 for a Development 
Education project. In collaboration with Bread for the World Institute 
(BFW), CRWRC used the money to fund a national event which linked 
international development organizations with U.S. leaders who were 
interested in public policy, sustainable development, and hunger. The 
event was a huge success.
  The Gathering, which took place in Washington, D.C. in June of 1997, 
was preceded by a number of training materials and publicity brochures 
and newsletters. Participants were divided into one of three groups: 
Track I, which involved over 300 people who were interested in poverty 
and hunger and wanted to learn more; Track II, the ``leadership corps'' 
or those who expressed a higher level of interest and would apply the 
``miltiplier effect'' in their own regions after leaving the Gathering; 
and finally, Track III, the six foreign nationals who were development 
practitioners working in partnership with CRWRC overseas.
  Attendance at the Gathering exceeded expectations, drawing over 500 
people. The conference was a time to share stories and learn from 
others. According to the increase in learning based on the results of a 
baseline survey given at registration and a follow-up survey that 
followed the conference, each of the three groups was impacted 
significantly by new information. The follow-up survey showed that 
Track II participants tripled in their learning and Track I showed a 
positive increase as well. In addition, the visiting international 
developers were able to learn about the democratic process in the U.S. 
and the possibility of creating their own action in their own 
countries.
  Other evidence of learning appeared in the comments from participants 
after the Gathering:
  From Jean Claude Cerin, a development practitioner from Haiti, and 
one of the international presenters:

       There was a woman in my small group the first day of our 
     meetings who felt forced to adopt international issues. [. . 
     .] She said that's not what she's concerned about, she's more 
     interested in what's happening in her own backyard. After 
     going through the workshops and interchanges, she became so 
     interested. She's interested in the mailing lists, to publish 
     talks of folks at the Track II workshops in her local 
     newsletter, and to be in communication with international 
     folks through email. She said, ``I'm able to connect these 
     international issues to my own backyard, now.'' She caught 
     the connection, the link. We are interconnected. [emphasis 
     added]

  From a Track II participant: ``Thanks again for your faith-filled 
leadership and courage in conceiving creating funding and hosting the 
[TrackII] sectional. It's a milestone in raising awareness for me!''
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to emphasize the positive aspects of this 
program and believe it shows how far public dollars can go to serve the 
world's poor when coupled with private effort.

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