Sherry Darling
New Yorker
ACTION ALERT! EMAIL THE PRESIDENT, CALL THE WHITE HOUSE!
This Tuesday President Bush will give his State of the Union
Address. He MAY even mention the greatest health crisis affecting
humankind, the global AIDS epidemic.
It's our job to let him know that nice rhetoric is not good enough!
We are looking to the President to propose full funding for global
AIDS programs in the budget he will present to Congress February
3rd. We are calling for $3.5 billion from the US (that includes $500
million in immediate additional funds to make up for the lack of
full funding in 2003 as well as funds to fight TB and malaria)
==> HIT YOUR REPLY BUTTON NOW TO SEND AN EMAIL TO THE PRESIDENT
USING OUR AUTOMATED SYSTEM!
or visit http://takeaction.stopglobalaids.org
==> JOIN WITH THOUSANDS ACROSS THE US IN CALLING THE PRESIDENT NEXT
WEEK. MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOW TO CALL THE WHITE HOUSE COMMENT LINE
AFTER THE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS (details and special
announcements below)
WHAT TO DO:
Mark your calendar now to make your call on either Wednesday the
29th, Thursday the 30th, or Friday the 31st. Put a note on your
fridge or your bathroom mirror right now to remind yourself
Call the White House Comment line at 202-456-1111 between 9 and 5pm
Eastern Time. Follow the prompts to leave your message with a live
operator. You can also email the President at
http://takeaction.stopglobalaids.org or send a fax to 202-456-2461.
Ask AT LEAST two friends or colleagues to call -- organize your
religious congregation or other group to have everyone MAKE THAT
IMPORTANT PHONE CALL...with enough people calling we CAN make a
difference.
WHAT TO SAY:
Rhetoric alone will not defeat the AIDS virus. The real test of the
President's commitment on this issue is his Budget Proposal. I urge
he include $3.5 billion for global AIDS programs plus in a 2003
Supplemental Budget. These funds must not be phased in over time,
they are needed immediately. They must not be provided by robbing
from other effective programs that assist impoverished countries or
from domestic AIDS programs. A truly compassionate response to AIDS
would be to provide full funding for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS,
TB and Malaria, at least $2.2 billion.
BACKGROUND:
Every day, 8,500 people die of AIDS around the world, devastating
families and communities, provoking famine, and making our world
less safe. Every day 13,000 new infections take place, 2000 of them
in children under fifteen. Women and girls are heavily impacted by
the crisis, which has its roots in gender inequality and poverty.
The Bush Administration claims the US is leading the world in the
fight against AIDS, but the US is not contributing its fair share
given its wealth. As a result of failed US leadership, the Global
Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria will hold its Board meeting next
week and find itself without adequate funds to provide to well-
designed, effective AIDS programs.
Where would the money go? Can we be sure the money won't be wasted?
Yes, there are ways to ensure these funds really have an impact. The
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria is a new funding
mechanism that channels resources to where they are most needed, to
truly effective programs. The Board has powerful safeguards for
transparency and accountability.
For more information, see http://www.globalfundatm.org
Update --> Why are we calling for more funding? Wasn't our call
before for $2.5 billion? Advocacy groups are now calling on the US
to provide $3.5 billion from the US (that includes $500 million in
immediate additional funds to make up for the lack of full funding
in 2003). The figure has gone up precisely because the US has
delayed in getting the resources flowing -- the virus does not wait
for the US government to act! That's why the CURRENT estimate for
what is needed for effective programs has gone up since the earlier
estimate was made. Plus, the Global Fund has made specific what it
needs from the global community, including the US, in order to not
face bankruptcy, and that request is a higher figure than what we
had before.
SPECIAL THANKS TO SENATORS DURBIN (D-IL) AND DEWINE (R-OH)!!! Way to
go!
Just two days ago the Senate yesterday passed by a 69-29 vote its
version of the fiscal year 2003 omnibus appropriations bill, which
includes $180 million for the global fight against HIV/AIDS.
YAAAYYY!! (Now we have to make sure it passes the full Congress.)
The amendment, co-sponsored by Sens. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) and Dick
Durbin (D-Ill.), would authorize about $100 million toward the U.S.
contribution to the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and
Malaria. The remaining $80 million would go to the U.S. Agency for
International Development and the CDC. Co-sponsors of this measure
also included the following Senators: Daschle, Dodd, Kennedy, Boxer,
Murray, Schumer, Mikulski, Leahy, Kohl, Clinton, Biden, Landrieu,
Corzine, Edwards, Lautenberg, Coleman, Collins, Brownback, Smith,
Dole, Specter, Snowe, Kerry, and Levin. Idea: SEND A THANK YOU NOTE
TO YOUR SENATORS IF THEY SUPPORTED THIS MEASURE.
Announcements:
==> Register today for the ecumenical AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST
ADVOCACY DAYS, in Washington, DC Feb 23-26! This gathering for
people of faith will provide challenging speakers, issue briefings,
and advocacy training workshops. You'll learn how YOU can have an
impact in Washington! There will be opportunities to speak with your
Senators and Representatives in the U.S. Congress, or their key
foreign policy staff, regarding Africa or the Middle East. There
will also be common times for fellowship and networking, plus lots
more.
More info HERE: http://www.loga.org/advocacy2003.htm
==> Africa Action has issued a new report analyzing Bush
Administration policy toward Africa. Yesterday the group held a
press conference with Jubilee USA Network and Amnesty International
that said the plans for war in Iraq are distracting attention from
today's most urgent global challenges, which are centered in
Africa.
More info HERE: http://www.africaaction.org/docs03/new0301.htm
This Tuesday President Bush will give his State of the Union
Address. He MAY even mention the greatest health crisis affecting
humankind, the global AIDS epidemic.
It's our job to let him know that nice rhetoric is not good enough!
We are looking to the President to propose full funding for global
AIDS programs in the budget he will present to Congress February
3rd. We are calling for $3.5 billion from the US (that includes $500
million in immediate additional funds to make up for the lack of
full funding in 2003 as well as funds to fight TB and malaria)
==> HIT YOUR REPLY BUTTON NOW TO SEND AN EMAIL TO THE PRESIDENT
USING OUR AUTOMATED SYSTEM!
or visit http://takeaction.stopglobalaids.org
==> JOIN WITH THOUSANDS ACROSS THE US IN CALLING THE PRESIDENT NEXT
WEEK. MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOW TO CALL THE WHITE HOUSE COMMENT LINE
AFTER THE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS (details and special
announcements below)
WHAT TO DO:
Mark your calendar now to make your call on either Wednesday the
29th, Thursday the 30th, or Friday the 31st. Put a note on your
fridge or your bathroom mirror right now to remind yourself
Call the White House Comment line at 202-456-1111 between 9 and 5pm
Eastern Time. Follow the prompts to leave your message with a live
operator. You can also email the President at
http://takeaction.stopglobalaids.org or send a fax to 202-456-2461.
Ask AT LEAST two friends or colleagues to call -- organize your
religious congregation or other group to have everyone MAKE THAT
IMPORTANT PHONE CALL...with enough people calling we CAN make a
difference.
WHAT TO SAY:
Rhetoric alone will not defeat the AIDS virus. The real test of the
President's commitment on this issue is his Budget Proposal. I urge
he include $3.5 billion for global AIDS programs plus in a 2003
Supplemental Budget. These funds must not be phased in over time,
they are needed immediately. They must not be provided by robbing
from other effective programs that assist impoverished countries or
from domestic AIDS programs. A truly compassionate response to AIDS
would be to provide full funding for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS,
TB and Malaria, at least $2.2 billion.
BACKGROUND:
Every day, 8,500 people die of AIDS around the world, devastating
families and communities, provoking famine, and making our world
less safe. Every day 13,000 new infections take place, 2000 of them
in children under fifteen. Women and girls are heavily impacted by
the crisis, which has its roots in gender inequality and poverty.
The Bush Administration claims the US is leading the world in the
fight against AIDS, but the US is not contributing its fair share
given its wealth. As a result of failed US leadership, the Global
Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria will hold its Board meeting next
week and find itself without adequate funds to provide to well-
designed, effective AIDS programs.
Where would the money go? Can we be sure the money won't be wasted?
Yes, there are ways to ensure these funds really have an impact. The
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria is a new funding
mechanism that channels resources to where they are most needed, to
truly effective programs. The Board has powerful safeguards for
transparency and accountability.
For more information, see http://www.globalfundatm.org
Update --> Why are we calling for more funding? Wasn't our call
before for $2.5 billion? Advocacy groups are now calling on the US
to provide $3.5 billion from the US (that includes $500 million in
immediate additional funds to make up for the lack of full funding
in 2003). The figure has gone up precisely because the US has
delayed in getting the resources flowing -- the virus does not wait
for the US government to act! That's why the CURRENT estimate for
what is needed for effective programs has gone up since the earlier
estimate was made. Plus, the Global Fund has made specific what it
needs from the global community, including the US, in order to not
face bankruptcy, and that request is a higher figure than what we
had before.
SPECIAL THANKS TO SENATORS DURBIN (D-IL) AND DEWINE (R-OH)!!! Way to
go!
Just two days ago the Senate yesterday passed by a 69-29 vote its
version of the fiscal year 2003 omnibus appropriations bill, which
includes $180 million for the global fight against HIV/AIDS.
YAAAYYY!! (Now we have to make sure it passes the full Congress.)
The amendment, co-sponsored by Sens. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) and Dick
Durbin (D-Ill.), would authorize about $100 million toward the U.S.
contribution to the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and
Malaria. The remaining $80 million would go to the U.S. Agency for
International Development and the CDC. Co-sponsors of this measure
also included the following Senators: Daschle, Dodd, Kennedy, Boxer,
Murray, Schumer, Mikulski, Leahy, Kohl, Clinton, Biden, Landrieu,
Corzine, Edwards, Lautenberg, Coleman, Collins, Brownback, Smith,
Dole, Specter, Snowe, Kerry, and Levin. Idea: SEND A THANK YOU NOTE
TO YOUR SENATORS IF THEY SUPPORTED THIS MEASURE.
Announcements:
==> Register today for the ecumenical AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST
ADVOCACY DAYS, in Washington, DC Feb 23-26! This gathering for
people of faith will provide challenging speakers, issue briefings,
and advocacy training workshops. You'll learn how YOU can have an
impact in Washington! There will be opportunities to speak with your
Senators and Representatives in the U.S. Congress, or their key
foreign policy staff, regarding Africa or the Middle East. There
will also be common times for fellowship and networking, plus lots
more.
More info HERE: http://www.loga.org/advocacy2003.htm
==> Africa Action has issued a new report analyzing Bush
Administration policy toward Africa. Yesterday the group held a
press conference with Jubilee USA Network and Amnesty International
that said the plans for war in Iraq are distracting attention from
today's most urgent global challenges, which are centered in
Africa.
More info HERE: http://www.africaaction.org/docs03/new0301.htm
Just this once lol.
