Page 8 - FDLP Oct 6 2022

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world news Diahuebs 6 OctOber 2022
Ford offers $80 million to fight global authoritarianism

The Ford Foundation will civil-society groups can re- region. During its first year,
commit $80 million over ceive help to make their or- the hub will offer its services
the next five years to work ganizations stronger. to Colombian nonprofits and
that strengthens nonprof- then expand to Peru and Ven-
its fighting against au- The hubs will provide con- ezuela. Over the next several
thoritarian regimes. sulting for groups in their years, the two organizations
regions that need a guide to together hope to provide ser-
Such groups are struggling in navigate labyrinthine regula- vices to about 200 groups in
the face of governments that tory and tax systems, draw the region.
are restricting the right to pro- up plans and publicize their
test, hobbling nonprofit or- work, and protect against A big problem with founda-
ganizations with an avalanche physical and online threats to tion support from U.S. grant-
of bureaucratic requirements workers and their families. makers, Newman Pont said,
meant to stymie their effec- mitment and planned grants based on a range of criteria, is that such giving is usually
tiveness, and threatening the The idea behind the grants is from seven other founda- including government cor- earmarked for specific pur-
safety of people who work that supporting single non- tions including the Founda- ruption, freedom of assem- poses. When new needs arise,
for such groups, Helena profits has no lasting im- tion for a Just Society and the bly, freedom of religion, and civil-society groups often feel
Hofbauer Balmori, director pact and does little to help a Kellogg, Open Society, and a functioning electoral pro- constrained to spend their
of Ford’s international civic broad array of organizations. Packard foundations. cess. grants as they were designed
engagement and government Through Weaving Resilience, so they can keep a relation-
work and director of the new Ford wants to strengthen the The grants come as democ- Walker, who spoke before the ship with a grant maker, rath-
grant-making effort, an- civil-society “ecosystem” and racy and free expression Ford commitment was an- er than use funds to respond
nounced Tuesday. foster the development of seem to be faltering across nounced, said philanthropy to new challenges.
hundreds of vital organiza- the globe. Basic liberties de- could play a critical role in
The Ford commitment, tions. clined in 2021 for the 16th reversing the tide. The Ford commitment, Hof-
called Weaving Resilience, straight year, according to bauer Balmori said, looks to
will not provide grants to in- Hofbauer Balori hopes oth- the Freedom in the World re- Each hub will design its own break that cycle. The groups
dividual nonprofits. Instead, er foundations will join in. port from Freedom House, a strategy. Two organizations, that will decide how the
it will support virtual “hubs” Weaving Resilience’s Mexico group that works to promote Compartamos con Colom- money is best used are from
in 12 countries: Brazil, Co- hub, which will offer services democracy worldwide. bia, connects nonprofits to the region and have a better
lombia, Costa Rica, Indone- to organizations in Central a network of lawyers, con- sense of emerging needs than
sia, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, America and Mexico, has at- The report found that 38% of sultants, and bankers, and a New York grant maker, she
Nigeria, Peru, South Africa, tracted $11.6 million in sup- the world’s population lives Dejusticia, a legal and civil- said.
Tanzania, and Uganda, where port including the Ford com- in countries that are “not rights group, will manage
free,” a designation made the effort in the Colombia

OPEC+ makes big oil cut to boost prices; pump costs may rise

FRANKFURT, Germany — would therefore doubtless
(AP) — The OPEC+ al- be very welcome.”
liance of oil-exporting
countries on Wednesday Dwindling prospects for a
decided to sharply cut diplomatic deal to limit Iran’s
production to support nuclear program have also
sagging oil prices, a move lowered prospects for a re-
that could deal the strug- turn of as much as 1.5 mil-
gling global economy an- lion barrels a day in Iranian
other blow and raise po- oil to the market if sanctions
litically sensitive pump are removed.
prices for U.S. drivers
just ahead of key national Oil prices surged this sum-
elections. mer as markets worried about
the loss of Russian supplies
Energy ministers meeting at from sanctions over the war
the Vienna headquarters of in Ukraine, but they slipped
the OPEC oil cartel cut pro- as fears about recessions in
duction by 2 million barrels major economies and Chi-
per day starting in Novem- na’s COVID-19 restrictions
ber at their first face-to-face mer peaks because of fears supply if Russia retaliates by weighed on demand for
meeting since the start of the The impact of the production that major global economies refusing to ship to countries crude.
COVID-19 pandemic. cut on oil prices — and thus such as the U.S. or Europe and companies that observe
the price of gasoline made will sink into recession due the cap. International benchmark
Besides a token trim in oil from crude — will be limited to high inflation, rising in- Brent has sagged as low as $84
production last month, the somewhat because OPEC+ terest rates meant to curb The EU agreed Wednesday in recent days after spending
major cut is an abrupt turn- members are already unable rising consumer prices, and on new sanctions that are ex- most of the summer months
around from months of re- to meet the quotas set by the uncertainty over Russia’s war pected to include a price cap over $100 per barrel.
storing deep cuts made dur- group. against in Ukraine. on Russian oil.
ing the depths of the pan- At its last meeting in Sep-
demic and could help alli- The alliance also said it was Oil supply could face further Russia “will need to find tember, OPEC+ reduced the
ance member Russia weather renewing its cooperation be- cutbacks in coming months new buyers for its oil when amount of oil it produces by
a looming European ban on tween members of the OPEC when a European ban on the EU embargo comes into 100,000 barrels a day in Oc-
oil imports. cartel and non-members, the most Russian imports takes force in early December and tober. That token cut didn’t
most significant of which is effect in December. A sepa- will presumably have to make do much to boost lower oil
In a statement, OPEC+ said Russia. The deal was to ex- rate move by the U.S. and further price concessions to prices, but it put markets on
the decision was based on the pire at year’s end. other members of the Group do so,” analysts at Commerz- notice that the group was
“uncertainty that surrounds of Seven wealthy democra- bank wrote in a note. “Higher willing to act if prices kept
the global economic and oil The decision comes as oil cies to impose a price cap prices beforehand — boosted falling.
market outlooks.” trades well below its sum- on Russian oil could reduce by production cuts elsewhere