Core Development
A central part of the PHD program has been leadership training in the 15 communities. This has been facilitated through the formation of committees which look for solutions to basic necessities identified by the community members themselves in areas such as health, education, housing, youth and women's issues.

Storm Season – Heavy rains from Hurricane Stan have affected much of Central America over the past week, driving 16,700 Salvadorans from their homes and killing dozens of people in Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Honduras. The rain threatens to ruin the postrera (second planting) for this year, as in many places crops are rotting in the fields.

The Quest for Peace is committed to raising $1.5 million for years 2005, 2006, and 2007. The funds are for the Program of Human Development, construction of homes and water systems, cargo container shipments, feeding programs, reforestation and political and economic solidarity work in the United States. The following chart outlines how we plan to raise it. It also shows how we are doing. Thus far, we are on target because of your enduring generosity and commitment to our Nicaraguan friends.

A New Quest Venture

Beginning last June, Quest for Peace staff assumed the responsibility for coordination of the Alliance for Responsible Trade (ART). ART is a national network of labor, family-farm, religious, women, environmental, development and research organizations that promotes equitable and sustainable trade and development. The network started as a response to NAFTA and subsequently became focused on the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA), the hemispheric agreement still being promoted by the United States.

In the early morning hours of July 28 the Republican leadership of the House of Representatives and the Bush administration twisted one final arm to pull out a win on the Central America Free Trade Agreement with a vote of 217-215.