World Poverty: Time Magazine Cover

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ruffian

Rock n' Roll Doggie FOB
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If you are interested in reading an article by Jeff Sachs (Bono calls him "my professor) on ending world poverty, pick up the latest Time magazine. It's a rather basic article, but a good introduction to the issue if you are newly interested. Sachs is an economist who has worked very successfully at promoting sustainable development in various nations and is informed and articulate. I'm delighted to see this issue getting the national attention it deserves...
 
I just picked this up late last night. I've only flipped through it and I can't wait to read it. It's an exciting time to be alive in that we can actually dream this dream of eradicating extreme poverty and consider it an attainable goal. I would encourage everyone to check out this article and see how you can be used in the fight against extreme poverty.

The little blurb on the cover was enough to piss me off — 8 million people die every year because they're too poor to live. This shouldn't happen in this day and age and that fact that it is should piss you off too.
 
I know...and while we all "sorta know" that much of the world lives in poverty, it is startling to see the evidence in print...
 
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ruffian said:
I know...and while we all "sorta know" that much of the world lives in poverty, it is startling to see the evidence in print...

Yes....and just imagine........in person......

carol
wizard2c

:(
 
Something we can all do to help end world poverty:

(BUT THIS HAS TO BE RIGHT NOW!)

Action Alert! Call your Senators to Urge Support for Durbin-Santorum
Amendment! Congress Considering the Budget for Global AIDS Programs
Call before March 16!!

ISSUE: President Bush has delivered his fiscal year 2006 budget
proposal to Congress. It includes a 31% cut to US support for one of
the most cost-effective AIDS programs, the Global Fund. The Fund is
fighting AIDS in 127 countries, and it is doing vital work combating
Tb and malaria. If the President's proposal is accepted, the US
will meet just 8% of the Fund's needs in 2006! The impact will be
devastating.

But, Senators Durbin (D-IL) and Santorum (R-PA) are trying to change
this! They are offering an amendment that would add $500 million to
the President's proposed $300 million for the Fund. We need
everyone to call their Senators before Wednesday March 16!! Whether
you have Republicans or Democrats as your Senators, please call!
Every Senator matters!

Does calling Congress change things? Yes, it does. Experience
shows that when complaints are loud enough, Congress has increased
spending. Note: funding for AIDS programs in the US and funding for
AIDS programs in poor countries come out of different pots of
money. Increases in international spending do not mean cuts to
domestic AIDS programs. Both can and should be increased!

Who is backing this? Major religious groups - Catholic, Protestant,
Jewish - plus a wide range of healthcare, development and activist
groups are calling for much greater US support for the Global Fund.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

You do not have to be an expert to contact Congress, and it DOES
make a difference.

Email, fax and call your Senators to urge they do the right thing.
Ask that they vote for the Durbin-Santorum Amendment. Urge they also
support full funding for AIDS programs in the US. If calling a
Republican office emphasize it is sponsored by Senator Santorum. It
takes just a minute or two! Call right now, 202-224-3121. Ask for
your Senators' legislative aides who handle foreign aid issues.
Leave a message if you do not get a live person! Send an email via

http://takeaction.stopglobalaids.org

You can go the extra mile by getting people at your school or your
church or other religious group to fax letters too and make calls.
Do it as a group and make it fun! Why not create a petition at your
church or temple, gather signatures and then fax it in?

After this amendment fight, it's still important to keep calling
your Senators about these issues. You can even meet with members of
Congress themselves while they are in your area and holding local
office hours (such as during the upcoming March 21 - April 1
District Work Period).

SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT TO SAY: "I am concerned about the budget for
AIDS and other health programs. Please support the Durbin-Santorum
Amendment to the Budget, which will come before the Senate March 16.
This would add an additional $500 million for the Global Fund. The
Fund is an essential compliment to the United States' own global
AIDS programs. We must keep our nation's promise to fully support
the Global Fund. I also feel the budget should allow for increases
for prevention programs here at home and other programs that help
people who are living with AIDS. This is a great nation, and we can
afford to do all these things. If we meet these issues head on now,
we will save money in the long run! AIDS is putting global security
at risk."

Sample letter to the US Congress (appropriate for either the House
or the Senate):

It's best to personalize and then email or fax your letter. The mail
in Washington is very slow due to security issues. Not sure who your
representatives in Washington are? Just visit this handy directory,
where you will also find fax numbers:
http://takeaction.stopglobalaids.com/directory/index.asp

You can email them this letter via http://www.senate.gov

Dear Senator:

I am concerned about the budget for AIDS and other health programs.
Let's be the compassionate nation the President says we should be!

Please support the Durbin-Santorum Amendment to the Budget, which
will come before the Senate around March 16. This would add an
additional $500 million for the Global Fund. Please help see these
funds are also appropriated, while not cutting other effective
humanitarian programs.

The Fund is an essential compliment to the United States own global
AIDS programs. We must keep our nation's promise to fully support
the Global Fund.

I also feel the domestic programs budget should allow for increases
for prevention programs here at home and other programs that help
people who are living with AIDS.

This is a great nation, and we can afford to do all these things. If
we meet these issues head on now, we will save money in the long
run! AIDS is putting global security at risk

Sincerely,

Name:____________ Address:_____________________

BACKGROUND:

The budget that President Bush has proposed for 2006 includes an
increase in funding for international programs, but this does not
mean the US will give its full contribution to the Global Fund.
Nearly half the increase (of $3.1 billion) is aimed at the
Millennium Challenge Account. The budget does specify $300 million
for the Global Fund, but that's only 8% of what the Fund needs in
2006.

The $500 million amendment is a terrific step forward. The amendment
would lead to increased US funding, provided the Appropriations
Committees sign off on this later this year. More is needed for the
US to provide its fair-share, but this amount would at least help
the Fund renew grants that are soon expiring. It will help encourage
other countries to give more of their money to their Fund. The
amendment urges the Senate to not allow any funding for humanitarian
programs to be reduced in order to finance this increase for the
Global Fund.

Why is the Global Fund important and why does it need more money
from the US?

· The Global Fund operates like a foundation. Countries apply
for funding for AIDS, Tb and malaria programs and private groups
(including churches) are involved in the process. Then, these
applications are scrutinized by a panel of experts. There are
multiple checks to make sure funds are properly used.

· The Fund is a democracy-builder. The Fund requires
governments to engage with civic groups, and it gives these groups
opportunities to build greater leverage in dealing with their
governments and help make health systems work better.

· The Fund's resources are saving lives right now, in 127
countries. Thanks to the Fund, 130,000 people are receiving life-
saving AIDS medication, more than one million people have been
tested and received counseling, and 385,000 people are receiving TB
treatment (TB is a major killer of people living with AIDS). 1.3
million insecticide-treated mosquito nets have been distributed
(Malaria kills an African child every 30 seconds).

· The Fund helps make sure greater resources can be absorbed
and used effectively. 20% of its resources go to human resources,
13% to physical infrastructure, 6% to monitoring and evaluation.

· Many of the grants from the Fund will soon expire. The
programs that received the funds have to reapply to get the grants
renewed. But the Fund does not have enough money to renew the grants
and programs might have to shut down, even though people will die if
they do not get the medications these programs provide. That's one
reason why the Fund will be in severe trouble if the US does not
keep its promises. In 2006 the Fund will need $800 million from the
US just to help fund grant renewals.

· When the US gives its fair share other countries are more
likely to give their fair share too. So far, for every dollar the US
provides to the Fund, other countries have given two.

Global AIDS Alliance 1225 Connecticut Ave, NW Suite 401 Washington,
D.C., 20036 Tel: 202-296-0260 ext. 211 Fax: 202-296-0261
info@globalaidsalliance.org www.globalaidsalliance.org

--------------------------------------------------------------

THANK YOU FOR HELPING THE WORLD'S POOREST PEOPLE
:up:
 
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