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Featured Cause: Update: DATA Update on North America - North & South of the Border*
[SIMG]http://bonovox.interference.com/cause/data34-sml.jpg[/SIMG]
By Katie A. McGrath with U.S Update by Deborah Kreuser
DATA has people who know how to get things done. They know this is a cause that you have to highlight with your head and not your heart. Compassion is not going to win over the politicians, it is the numbers the statistics the facts about where the future is headed that you argue during the day. You go home and read the reports at night and when you take of that mask you are left with the faces and visions of orphaned children, that?s what keeps me up at night. It is compassion and the moral imperative of helping our neighbors, which should have us refusing to let the human suffering continue. It is what DATA knows all to well and where Bono has a distinct advantage, he is wise and intelligent and he knows his stuff but above all this he is compassionate and it is this which drives him to do whatever it takes to turn the tide on this emergency. If the game must be played then you would consider DATA (as well put together as they are) one of the best players on this international effort, they also have their moral compass pointed in exactly the right direction. Their genuine compassion towards this emergency is evident. With a relatively small staff, DATA it has to be a balance of where to direct the energy, and it is an action to create grassroots movement to empower people at every level. It is a clear message that we all can do something and what this is going to take is a global effort and a united voice. It is checking your ego at the door; removing the ?us vs. them? mentality and holding people responsible to live up to they?re potential to make a difference. DATA has policy experts and the access but the citizens have the voice and hold the votes. If what they are doing is opening the doors so that we can make a difference on this, then we should be lined up to walk through.
Here is a look at what has been happening on the issues the last few months north and south of the border in North America.
Canada
Bill C-9 was introduced (Act to amend the Patent and Food and Drug Act) to permit the export of generic medicines to countries in need. This had potential to set international precedent allowing generic medicines to get to Africa setting an example for the world to follow. However it had fatal flaws such as the Right of First Refusal, which undermines the very objective of the bill by allowing big pharmacy to block generic companies from getting license to supply cheaper medicines. Also Schedule 1, which includes a limited list of pharmaceutical products, many drugs frequently needed in developing countries are not on the list. With such as small percentage of those in Africa actually having access to medicines, arguing patent laws and protecting corporate interests is adding fuel to the fire which values profit over humanity. As it has been said the devil is in the details on this one, not making the proper amendment?s to Bill C-9 will undermine its purpose and the bottom line is the cost of people?s lives. The Bill is currently held up in parliament on can only hope it will not further be delayed with elections.
A rumored spring election looms for Canada, made ever more evident from Jack Layton?s letter to Bono in which he informed DATA Paul Martin was not living up to his promises. The Federal Budget shows an 8% increase in Foreign Aid. Of that is allocated 115 million to Africa in 2004-2005 and 124 million for 2005-2006. However there was absolutely no mention of the Millennium Development Goals, no plan by the government as to how we are going top reach the MDG. We are currently on target to reach about .31% by 2015, a far cry from the .7% of our GDP. It?s not that Canada isn?t doing something, it?s that it simply is not enough. Intentions and promises don?t save lives, action does. Bono is a man of principle, he will undoubtedly be the pain the ass he promised to be. I don?t question Paul Martin has a social conscience but will corporate interest pull him in direction that doesn?t align with his commitment to Africa. ?Canada, Oh Canada? we can?t let that happen, tell Paul Martin to live up to his commitments on Africa! Between now and April 20, when Canada's MPs begin to put the final touches to the law, 350,000 people will have died from AIDS, TB and malaria.
United States
Last year, DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa), the Africa advocacy organization founded by Bono and Bob Geldof, was instrumental in the passage through Congress of the bill commonly known as the Global AIDS Act. This bill authorized the U.S. government to allocate at least $15 billion over the next 5 years to help stem the spread of HIV/AIDS in 14 countries throughout Africa and the Caribbean. The money would allow tens of thousands of people to get the necessary ARV (anti-retroviral therapy) to prolong their lives, promote HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention programs, fight TB and malaria and dramatically increase the financial support of AIDS-orphaned children in these 14 targeted countries. The final amount of money approved for these programs last year was $2.4 billion, short of the anticipated $3 billion. Within the last month, some of this money has actually begun to be distributed in these targeted nations.
Currently, there is a major threat in Congress to the continued funding of the Global AIDS Act (including the Millennium Challenge Account) and other global health programs. On 25 March 2004, there was a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives to cut $4 billion from the International Affairs portion of President Bush's FY2005 budget in order to trim the U.S. budget deficit. DATA and other organizations from both the religious and secular communities are very concerned that those funds might be cut from the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the Millennium Challenge Account. It will take the active involvement of the People of the USA to prevent the gains made within the last two years to help Africa and to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS.
What We Can Do
It seems to a certain degree we are missing a piece of the puzzle, or that puzzle piece is in the wrong spot. Some people still seem not to understand the scope of this and maybe that?s because we failed to dramatize it in a way that engage ordinary citizens. We have to get people out of that nice comfy spot where they think of ?American Prayer? as just another nice song but don?t hear the message behind it. Not paralysis from the feeling of uselessness, but action in the form of extraordinary human kindness. The emergency in Africa is overwhelming and it is heartbreaking, the line in the sand is clearly visible between the have and the have-nots, it is a complacency that is difficult to comprehend. It is clear that if we fail to act this the fall out will effect our children?s, children and ask yourself is that a legacy you want to leave them. Do you really want to shoulder the weight of a conscience that leaves a continent behind? If the genocide in Rwanda was the failure of humanity our apathy and ignorance, is our message that we have learned nothing? I don?t believe that?s true I believe compassion and the power of the human spirit will prevail.
As Bono has said, "by our inaction, we are complicit" in the unnecessary suffering of millions of innocent people.
There are many resources available at the DATA website (www.data.org) to help us voice our support for full funding of the Global AIDS Act and other global health programs. On DATA's home page, you can sign up to receive their e-mail "action alerts" which will keep you informed on the latest information regarding issues vital for Africa's future and what you can do to help. You can also click on "Your Action Center" and find DATA's excellent fact sheets, action sheets and other information that you can share with your family, friends, neighbors, churches, schools and community organizations to help DATA ensure a positive future for Africa's people.
[SIMG]http://bonovox.interference.com/cause/data34-sml.jpg[/SIMG]
By Katie A. McGrath with U.S Update by Deborah Kreuser
DATA has people who know how to get things done. They know this is a cause that you have to highlight with your head and not your heart. Compassion is not going to win over the politicians, it is the numbers the statistics the facts about where the future is headed that you argue during the day. You go home and read the reports at night and when you take of that mask you are left with the faces and visions of orphaned children, that?s what keeps me up at night. It is compassion and the moral imperative of helping our neighbors, which should have us refusing to let the human suffering continue. It is what DATA knows all to well and where Bono has a distinct advantage, he is wise and intelligent and he knows his stuff but above all this he is compassionate and it is this which drives him to do whatever it takes to turn the tide on this emergency. If the game must be played then you would consider DATA (as well put together as they are) one of the best players on this international effort, they also have their moral compass pointed in exactly the right direction. Their genuine compassion towards this emergency is evident. With a relatively small staff, DATA it has to be a balance of where to direct the energy, and it is an action to create grassroots movement to empower people at every level. It is a clear message that we all can do something and what this is going to take is a global effort and a united voice. It is checking your ego at the door; removing the ?us vs. them? mentality and holding people responsible to live up to they?re potential to make a difference. DATA has policy experts and the access but the citizens have the voice and hold the votes. If what they are doing is opening the doors so that we can make a difference on this, then we should be lined up to walk through.
Here is a look at what has been happening on the issues the last few months north and south of the border in North America.
Canada
Bill C-9 was introduced (Act to amend the Patent and Food and Drug Act) to permit the export of generic medicines to countries in need. This had potential to set international precedent allowing generic medicines to get to Africa setting an example for the world to follow. However it had fatal flaws such as the Right of First Refusal, which undermines the very objective of the bill by allowing big pharmacy to block generic companies from getting license to supply cheaper medicines. Also Schedule 1, which includes a limited list of pharmaceutical products, many drugs frequently needed in developing countries are not on the list. With such as small percentage of those in Africa actually having access to medicines, arguing patent laws and protecting corporate interests is adding fuel to the fire which values profit over humanity. As it has been said the devil is in the details on this one, not making the proper amendment?s to Bill C-9 will undermine its purpose and the bottom line is the cost of people?s lives. The Bill is currently held up in parliament on can only hope it will not further be delayed with elections.
A rumored spring election looms for Canada, made ever more evident from Jack Layton?s letter to Bono in which he informed DATA Paul Martin was not living up to his promises. The Federal Budget shows an 8% increase in Foreign Aid. Of that is allocated 115 million to Africa in 2004-2005 and 124 million for 2005-2006. However there was absolutely no mention of the Millennium Development Goals, no plan by the government as to how we are going top reach the MDG. We are currently on target to reach about .31% by 2015, a far cry from the .7% of our GDP. It?s not that Canada isn?t doing something, it?s that it simply is not enough. Intentions and promises don?t save lives, action does. Bono is a man of principle, he will undoubtedly be the pain the ass he promised to be. I don?t question Paul Martin has a social conscience but will corporate interest pull him in direction that doesn?t align with his commitment to Africa. ?Canada, Oh Canada? we can?t let that happen, tell Paul Martin to live up to his commitments on Africa! Between now and April 20, when Canada's MPs begin to put the final touches to the law, 350,000 people will have died from AIDS, TB and malaria.
United States
Last year, DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa), the Africa advocacy organization founded by Bono and Bob Geldof, was instrumental in the passage through Congress of the bill commonly known as the Global AIDS Act. This bill authorized the U.S. government to allocate at least $15 billion over the next 5 years to help stem the spread of HIV/AIDS in 14 countries throughout Africa and the Caribbean. The money would allow tens of thousands of people to get the necessary ARV (anti-retroviral therapy) to prolong their lives, promote HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention programs, fight TB and malaria and dramatically increase the financial support of AIDS-orphaned children in these 14 targeted countries. The final amount of money approved for these programs last year was $2.4 billion, short of the anticipated $3 billion. Within the last month, some of this money has actually begun to be distributed in these targeted nations.
Currently, there is a major threat in Congress to the continued funding of the Global AIDS Act (including the Millennium Challenge Account) and other global health programs. On 25 March 2004, there was a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives to cut $4 billion from the International Affairs portion of President Bush's FY2005 budget in order to trim the U.S. budget deficit. DATA and other organizations from both the religious and secular communities are very concerned that those funds might be cut from the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the Millennium Challenge Account. It will take the active involvement of the People of the USA to prevent the gains made within the last two years to help Africa and to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS.
What We Can Do
It seems to a certain degree we are missing a piece of the puzzle, or that puzzle piece is in the wrong spot. Some people still seem not to understand the scope of this and maybe that?s because we failed to dramatize it in a way that engage ordinary citizens. We have to get people out of that nice comfy spot where they think of ?American Prayer? as just another nice song but don?t hear the message behind it. Not paralysis from the feeling of uselessness, but action in the form of extraordinary human kindness. The emergency in Africa is overwhelming and it is heartbreaking, the line in the sand is clearly visible between the have and the have-nots, it is a complacency that is difficult to comprehend. It is clear that if we fail to act this the fall out will effect our children?s, children and ask yourself is that a legacy you want to leave them. Do you really want to shoulder the weight of a conscience that leaves a continent behind? If the genocide in Rwanda was the failure of humanity our apathy and ignorance, is our message that we have learned nothing? I don?t believe that?s true I believe compassion and the power of the human spirit will prevail.
As Bono has said, "by our inaction, we are complicit" in the unnecessary suffering of millions of innocent people.
There are many resources available at the DATA website (www.data.org) to help us voice our support for full funding of the Global AIDS Act and other global health programs. On DATA's home page, you can sign up to receive their e-mail "action alerts" which will keep you informed on the latest information regarding issues vital for Africa's future and what you can do to help. You can also click on "Your Action Center" and find DATA's excellent fact sheets, action sheets and other information that you can share with your family, friends, neighbors, churches, schools and community organizations to help DATA ensure a positive future for Africa's people.
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