Mott News Log

Chrome, sheet metal and horsepower took center stage on August 13 through 16 in downtown Flint, Michigan, during the 2008 Back to the Bricks event. The annual automobile show and cruise brought tens of thousands of auto enthusiasts and other visitors to the Mott Foundation’s home community. Mott helped support marketing activities for the 2008 event through a one-year, $15,000 grant to the Flint Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

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Bi-partisan commissions in at least 15 states and the District of Columbia are adopting measures to narrow the widening economic gap between wealthy and poor families in the U.S. Among the key strategies is the elimination of barriers -- lack of education, poor transportation and inadequate child care -- that prevent many from finding better jobs and escaping chronic poverty. Mott Foundation grantees working to address issues of poverty include the Brookings Institution; the Center for American Progress; and the Center for Law and Social Policy.

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The World Wildlife Fund-UK (WWF-UK) recently released the report, The World Bank and its carbon footprint: Why the World Bank is still far from being an environment bank. Among other conclusions, the report finds that despite the World Bank's financing of renewable energy projects, it continues to invest heavily in fossil fuel technologies. WWF-UK addresses World Bank climate financing issues, along with several NGOs funded through the International Finance for Sustainability area of Mott's Environment program.

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A recent issue brief by the Afterschool Alliance – a Mott grantee – suggests a strong correlation between summer experiences and success in school. The brief also notes that an absence of stimulating summer activities can be linked to a loss of academic skills. Read about the benefits of summer learning, as well as profiles of innovative summer enrichment programs.

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The Tierramérica International Center for Sustainable Development and Environmental Defense was created during a seminar about the world’s environmental challenges. The Center will conduct research and training. It grew out of the work of Tierramérica, an environmental news agency that broadcasts to more than 700 radio stations throughout Latin America. Tierramérica is produced by Inter Press Service (IPS), a Mott grantee.

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A USA Today article describes how former President Jimmy Carter has aligned with Georgia environmentalists, just as he did 30 years ago, to oppose the construction of dams along Georgia's Flint River. Enviornmentalists are promoting alternative solutions to the state's water supply needs that would reduce the presure to create new resorvoirs by building dams on free-flowing rivers. Carter spoke as part of the Paddle Georgia 2008 event, which is a project of Georgia River Network, a Mott grantee.

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The Urban Institute recently issued a series of essays on the challenges facing many poor working families in the U.S. Published under the title, “A New Safety Net for Low-Income Families,” the essays include perspectives from labor economists, health researchers, housing experts and children’s policy analysts. The Mott and Annie E. Casey foundations provided support for the project.

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Natasa Kandic, director of the Humanitarian Law Center in Belgrade, Serbia, is quoted in a New York Times article about the arrest of Radovan Karadzic on charges of Bosnian War-related crimes. The Center is one of several organizations receiving Mott support for transitional justice activities through the Foundation's Civil Society program.

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Community colleges across the U.S. increasingly are a key resource for adults looking to advance their education and obtain living-wage jobs. Jobs For the Future, a Mott Foundation grantee, is exploring ways to expand the capacity of community colleges to help low-income, low-skill students succeed in professional and technical career programs.

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Following the July 23 collision of a barge and an oil tanker in the Mississippi River, two environmental groups conducted an air patrol to determine the extent of the damage. Oil slicks are extensive, according to the Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper, a project of Mott grantee Lousiana Environmental Action Network (LEAN), and the Atchafalaya Basinkeeper, a member of LEAN. Both groups are recommending that barges be labeled so first responders can easily determine what they contain.

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