Members of the Boston Oxfam Action Corps. paid a visit to the Boston office of Sen. John F. Kerry on Wednesday, June 2, to introduce the Boston Oxfam Action Corps., advocates for international adaptation inclusion in the comprehensive climate and energy package. A delegation of diverse members coming from several different locations of Massachusetts met with Meghan Leahy, Policy Advisor for Sen. Kerry. Ms. Leahy spent about a half an hour with us for a cordial discussion about Kerry-Lieberman bill, specifically, about “adaptation” and how the poorest people in the world are the hardest hit by climate change. We also discussed the food security and aid modernization.
In advocating for the comprehensive climate and energy package and to support immediate investments in international adaption as part of that package, we offered our thanks and praise for Sen. Kerry for his tireless effort in creating the Kerry-Lieberman bill and are very pleased to see the promotion of global security with the inclusion of an international adaption program. Our concern, however, is that the funding doesn’t begin until 2019.
We offered to provide additional information on aid modernization and Ms. Leahy said she would appreciate additional materials from Oxfam. We offered her and other staff members to reach out to our Oxfam’s DC policy staff to discuss alternative ways to generate urgently needed public financing for international adaptation in the period not covered by the proposed legislation (2012-2019); noting this will be a vital time during which the brunt of climate change’s impacts will be felt in developing communities.
Ms. Leahy confirmed Sen. Kerry’s appreciation for our support and efforts to educate and inform people throughout Massachusetts. She also graciously gave us a little tour of the office of Sen. Kerry and we all posed for some pictures!
Wednesday’s meeting was also an important first step toward the goal of establishing a productive relationship between the volunteers of Boston Oxfam Action Corps with Sen. Kerry’s office. Oxfam also hopes that Sen Kerry will speak at the upcoming Board meeting. We hope to meet with Sen. Kerry himself in the near future!
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