Welcome to the second edition of The Overbrook Foundation Newsletter. In this edition you will find reports, news, and articles from and about our grantees that highlight and celebrate their work and accomplishments which is supported in part by The Overbrook Foundation.

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American Jewish World Services - This Overbrook grantee devotes itself to sustainable, rights-based change in the developing world, and takes inspiration from Jewish principles including tikkun olam (healing the world) and tzedakah (righteousness and charity). One of their newest grantees is the Aceh Judicial Monitoring Institute in Indonesia. AJMI provides advocacy and assistance for Indonesians internally displaced by the continuing civil conflict in Aceh.

DeamYard - A&E channel's nationally televised "Breakfast with the Arts" recently profiled DreamYard and The ACTION Project, the organization's innovative, arts and civic engagement program for Bronx teenagers. You can view two short movies that include an interview with DreamYard and four of their students. Click here to read more about this Overbrook Grantee.

International Planned Parenthood - In March, IPPF/WHR attended the United Nations' Commission on the Status of Women, and representatives from twelve of their member associations, including two youth representatives, participated in the reaffirmation of the declaration and action plan of the 1995 Beijing Conference, which revolutionized definitions of women's rights as human rights and placed gender equality on the UN agenda for world health and development. The full story of the role of IPPF/WHR and their youth representatives can be read in this article.

Margaret Sanger Center International - The MSCI Connects Summer 2005 is their quarterly newsletter with information about their programs. You can also read an article about male involvement in anti-violence programs in South Africa by clicking here.

MHRA - With a recent grant from the Overbrook Foundation, Fiscal Infrastructure Technical Assistance (FITA), a program of Medical and Health Research Association of New York City (MHRA), has recently expanded its Common Cents training to provide nonprofits with stronger fiscal infrastructure and policies.

Neighbor to Neighbor - Selections from their annul report describe their mission and accomplishments: Transcending moral values - Building unity against injustice.

New York Hall of Science - The Hall's science career ladder helps students gain experience by being paid "explainers". Read more about four of these students.

Young People For The American Way - Empowering the next generation of leaders to focus on protecting progressive values and our rights and freedoms. This is a newsletter about this organization.

ACCION - This Overbrook grantee received the United Nations Association of Greater Boston award for its work in microfinance.

Corporate Ethics International - Corporate Accountability, Coca-Cola, shareholders and water shortages in India are discussed in this New York Times article.

Eco-Logic - Eco-Logic finance executive director William Foote describes how he worked himself out of a job by prefinancing various projects in Mexico. He hopes to do this again and again.

Eco-Exchange - Woodworkers build model forestry project for extractive reserves in Brazil's Amazon, an Overbrook funded project.

ForestEthics - A newsletter of the work of ForestEthics describes their work with Victoria's Secret. You can also read one of the articles on this project by clicking here.

Forest Stewardship Council - Their periodic newsletter describes how sustainable forest management programs are developed, managed and certified.

Futuro Latinoamericano - More on the work in the Galapagos Islands by this Overbrook grantee that seeks cooperation among competing groups in this sensitive part of the world.

International Rivers Network - An article in The New York Times about World Bank dam building projects mentions this Overbrook grantee and their work to stop such projects. You can also view their periodic newsletter by clicking here.

Island Press - Two books published by Island Press are described in this short information sheet: Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and Tigerland and Other Unintended Destinations.

Natural Resources Defense Council - New York City Hybrid Taxi Bill: With the support of The Overbrook Foundation, the Natural Resources Defense Council successfully helped spearhead the effort to draft and enact hybrid taxi legislation in New York City. NRDC worked closely with the NYC Council for over a year on this bill, which was just approved this past June. This important legislation will help decrease city air pollution, as well as set an example for other jurisdictions around the country. This New York Times editorial ran several days before the final vote, and an AP story on the bill's final passage was carried in more than 100 papers around the country.

PerScholas - Where do all the recycled computers go?

Rainforest Alliance - Tour boat operator, Ecoventura, makes its own contribution to conservation in the Galapagos Islands and what the SmartVoyager seal of approval means.

The Amazon GIS Project - The Amazon GIS Project is a technological advance in registering and mapping the Amazon basin. The project may influence conservation decision-making and promote effective strategies towards sustainable development. Read more on their website, click here.

WorldWatch Institute - Think globally, eat locally - a short piece on the Union Square Farmer's market and a new local restaurant.

ACLU - The ACLU has launched a nationwide effort to expose and prevent FBI spying on people and groups simply for speaking out or practicing their faith. Read the full article.

Education Fund to Stop Gun Violence - Two articles about the gun culture and its consequences to our society.

GPAC - A newsletter of the Gender Public Advocacy Coalition describing their recent work.

Human Rights Watch - The July 2005 listing of human rights violations and what is being done are detailed in Impact, a webpage of important recent news published by this Overbrook grantee.

Independent Press Association - Remarks from Jonathan Adelstein, FCC Commissioner: "... it is the small and independent press that ... uplift the quality of freedom and democracy...."

Innocence Project - The Innocence Project provides pro bono post-conviction legal assistance to prisoners whose chances of being proven innocent through DNA testing are high. They successfully petitioned Virginia Governor Mark Warner to order an independent review of the state crime lab, after the lab produced false DNA results in the case their client, Earl Washington. Two articles from The New York Times can be read.

National Women's Law Center - Through its reproductive rights and health program, the National Women's Law Center is addressing the problem of pharmacist refusals to fill prescriptions for contraception - an increasing problem that denies women's right to a basic reproductive health care need and that reflects the increasing attack on access to contraception in this country. The July 2005 issue of Ladies Home Journal provides a useful article exploring the pharmacy refusal problem, and the National Women's Law Center's website contains comprehensive information on the issue, including a map of bills and laws governing pharmacy refusals, fact sheets, details on recent state and federal activity, and sample press coverage. Click here for a more detailed view of their work.

Pax - Inspired from attending the May Benefit Gala for PAX / Real Solutions to Gun Violence, in which PAX highlighted the success of its ASK and SPEAK UP campaigns (5 million parents asking about guns in the homes where their children play and nearly 6,000 calls to the 866-SPEAK-UP School Violence Prevention Hotline), Newsweek columnist Rabbi Marc Gellman lauded PAX as "impossibility specialists," for transcending politics to make a real difference on the gun violence issue.

Urban Justice Center - Report on the life of indoor sex workers in New York City.

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