Stewardship | Winds of Peace Foundation

Empty Hands

By Steve Sheppard, on May 18th, 2013

I take the opportunity to read many things about Nicaragua. Some are by Nicaraguans, opining about life in that country. Others are by North Americans who have traveled to the country and been moved to offer written reflections about their experiences. The following is a portion of a thoughtful and moving piece written by Harvard Divinity School scholar Desiree Bernard upon a meeting she had with Father Fernando Cardenal, the Jesuit priest whose commitment to the poor in Nicaragua has been unwavering over the course of his long service there. I thank Ms. Bernard for her reflection which appeared in the –> Read More

This post is also available in: Spanish

The Power and the Weakness of One

By Steve Sheppard, on March 9th, 2013

One of the headlines in the news this week was the death of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Although he died at a relatively young age, Chavez has seemed to be in the news headlines forever, sometimes for his outrageous statements, sometimes for his larger-than-life persona, sometimes for his disparagement of United States policies abroad, and often for his utter disdain for Western-style capitalism. He demonized Western leaders, befriended outcast, “rogue” governments around the world and consolidated his power in Venezuelan politics until he controlled it almost single-handedly. Indeed, there were few agencies of Venezuelan government which did not feel –> Read More

This post is also available in: Spanish

Paying the Debt

By Steve Sheppard, on February 20th, 2013

Last month’s visit with partners in Nicaragua included some sobering visits with small coffee producers who are struggling with the after-effects of “coffee rust,” as described here in my previous entry, “Faces of Loss.” This crippling plant disease, along with other afflictions which can occur once the coffee plant is weakened, is taking an enormous toll on the yields of these farmers and threatening their livelihoods. There is truth to the fear that this year’s impact from the disease is more intense than in past years, and that some producers may not survive the onslaught.

An initial inclination might be –> Read More

This post is also available in: Spanish

When I’m Sixty-Four

By Steve Sheppard, on January 12th, 2013

“When I get older, losing my hair, Many years from now…. Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I’m sixty-four?”

The Beatles recorded a song in 1966 called, “When I’m Sixty-Four,” a whimsical tune sung by a young man to his girl, an inquiry about their life in future. The song is also a cute reference to the generation gap, as the young singer tries to imagine life at that ripe old age. History says that Paul McCartney wrote the song at a very young age and when his father was about to turn sixty-four. Anyone –> Read More

This post is also available in: Spanish

Universal Truths

By Steve Sheppard, on January 6th, 2013

One of the hopes that I had held during my years at Foldcraft Co. was that some day we might be able to compete successfully enough to acquire one of our local competitors, Waymar. We actually engaged in conversations with the owner of the company who was contemplating his own retirement, but we never could advance the conversations in any substantive way. You might imagine my sense of satisfaction, then, when last month Foldcraft completed the process of acquiring that company and its subsidiary in Seattle, Washington. Some good things just take time to develop.

The acquisition wasn’t free, of –> Read More

This post is also available in: Spanish

The Closed Intersection

By Steve Sheppard, on December 29th, 2012

And you thought you had a tough commute!

Last month’s visit to Nicaragua was memorable for any number of reasons, not the least of which was an encounter we experienced on our way north for some meetings. Near the community of Ciudad Dario, traffic started to slow down significantly. Within a few miles it had crawled to a halt. Protesters at a major intersection had taken over the highway some miles ahead in a well-planned protest of high bus fares. They made their point by making everything stop. Buses, trucks, cars, all stationary . And there we sat, wedged –> Read More

Servant Soul

By Steve Sheppard, on December 2nd, 2012

This past week has been filled with stories about holiday shopping, special deals, the frenzy demonstrated by consumers and whether this year will be “better” than last year as measured by dollars spent per shopper. It can leave me feeling a bit jaded about the holiday season, wondering what happened to the way it all “used to feel.” And then, the story about New York police officer Larry DiPrimo hit the news, and my season has taken a decidedly different turn.

Officer DiPrimo is the cop who noticed a homeless, shoeless man on the streets of New York and bought –> Read More

Thanksgiving Tale

By Steve Sheppard, on November 27th, 2012

There was a holiday, once, that was designated for mostly one thing: for people to give thanks out loud for the manifold blessings in their lives. The populace agreed that on that day, the normal busy-ness of life should take a time out, families should gather together to renew their bonds of kinship, good fellows would acknowledge their close friendships, and for at least this one occasion all should reflect on the largess and gifts of life. The day begged nothing from its participants but willing hearts to recognize such abundant bounties and the spirit of thankfulness for all that had –> Read More

Useless Things

By Steve Sheppard, on November 10th, 2012

Part of my recent travels to Nicaragua included participation in a workshop on cooperatives, the most recent in a series of workshops focused on the rural coops in the northern coffee region. Winds of Peace has been sponsoring these workshops over the past two years, allowing tier one coops to meet and discuss issues with tier two groups, buyers, funders, technical assistance organizations and more. These have proven to be unique opportunities for these groups to assemble for several days, discuss production and commercialization issues, to learn of each others’ concerns, and hopefully to create alliances among one another that –> Read More