The Cardin-Lugar Transparency Amendment can help in achieving the Millennium Development Goals

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A little over a week ago, David Lane, President and CEO of ONE let his fellow ONE members know that they helped score a big, big victory for the world's poor in the halls of high finance.

The Cardin-Lugar Transparency amendment to the financial regulation bill that passed will now become law.

This is a victory of public transparency for the benefit of citizens.

Developing countries far too often see money from their natural resources end up in the pockets of corrupt government officials. But now, citizens will get to see exactly where this money is going—which means they can hold their governments accountable and make sure funds are spent on health care, clean water and the everyday necessities that everybody needs to lead healthy, productive lives. It boils down to this:

Hidden transactions between corrupt governments of developing countries and the multinational corporations that do business with them will now be brought into the light of day.

This means that any company listed on the New York Stock Exchange will be required to report if they pay a foreign governments to drill for oil and gas or mine gold and diamonds in their countries. As our friends at Care2 tell us.

When governments are transparent, people can hold their governments accountable. When people hold their governments accountable, real, positive change is possible.

This is a step in the right direction for transparency is an essential ingredient in getting the Millennium Development Goals met. We need to enable people around the world to be able to hold their governments responsible, which means we need to first make them aware of the challenges and provide them the means of overcoming those challenges. Our governments need to keep an eye on global businesses and people need to keep an eye on both. One of the purposes of this blog is to contribute in the endeavor.

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• BREAKING: Victory for Transparency!! (one.org)
• Senator Cardin opens "African Trade Office" (one.org)

Urgent Message To [Insert Your Senator's Name Here] on U.S. International Affairs Budget

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It has been about 3 weeks since I have had a chance to get back to this blog, but luckily this request from ONE only came a couple of days ago.

Tom Hart, Government Relations Director of ONE says that Between now and 2015, we can eliminate malaria as a major public health problem in the world, ensure no child is born with HIV, and prevent more than 4.2 million future child deaths through vaccination.

We can do this through smart investments in global health, with a particular focus on women and young children. But we can't do it without a strong U.S. International Affairs Budget.

I signed the petition asking Senator Barbara Boxer

Please sign the bipartisan budget letter supporting a $58.5 billion International Affairs Budget.

I said:

I hope you support this effort being recommended both by ONE and the US Global Leadership Coalition. There are few things we can do that both help the less fortunate in the world and help our national security.

The deadline of April 9, for senators to sign the letter is coming up fast.

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• Action Alert: Send an urgent message to your senators (one.org)
• ONE urges donors to fully fund the Global Fund and GAVI (one.org)
• Military Leaders Call for Budget Support (one.org)

Progress in Haiti are Lessons for the Millennium Development Goals

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Today is the day that bloggers participating in the Bloggers Unite for Haiti event submit their posts. Their badge is at the right hand column. I already did a couple of posts but with this one I want to try it more directly with the Millennium Development Goals.

The events in Haiti are now moving from the emergency response stage to the rebuilding stage. Numerous problems arose during the massive effort to respond to the disaster that will be the source of lessons to take forward. The biggest issue to my mind was that again it was using a pound of cure instead of an ounce of prevention which would have been the case if the Millennium Development Goals had already been made a reality. It is not only a matter of how well developing countries would be able to address major disasters themselves but how well a global cooperative effort would be able to do so.

One of the problems was the cessation of planes from the United States carrying earthquake victims to Florida hospitals. SHAILA DEWAN of the New York Times wrote about the Cost Dispute Halts Airlift of Injured Haiti Quake Victims: The United States has suspended its evacuations of critically injured victims until a dispute over who will pay for their care in Florida and other states is settled. The number and complexity of the cases the medical care was costing the state of Florida millions. Florida Governor Crist’s requested the federal government to shoulder some of the expense

“Florida stands ready to assist our neighbors in Haiti, but we need a plan of action and reimbursement for the care we are providing,” Mr. Ivey spokesman for Mr. Crist said.

I am not going to fault Florida because I agree that this and similar issues should be addressed at the national and global level. It is an inefficiency of the system that it overburdens a component of the system with relatively limited resources. The structure necessary to bring about the Millennium Development Goals would not only help developing countries to establish their own economic and infrastructure systems to weather disasters, it would also help establish a more robust cooperative system between nations.

The ongoing funding of the relief efforts is also penny wise pound foolish. The idea now is to forgive Haiti's debt. ONE is organizing an international campaign ONE | Help Haiti: Drop the Debt to persuade world leaders to cancel Haiti’s $1 billion international debt and give the country a chance for significant and lasting recovery. This blog also supports a similar effort by Change.org whose widget is at the right hand column if anybody wants to add their support.

Tom Hart, Director of Government Relations at ONE, personally delivered more than 150,000 ONE member petition signatures from to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) urging debt cancellation for Haiti. Because of this effort and others, the IMF, Inter-American Development Bank, U.S. Treasury and other key players say that they want to find a way to cancel Haiti's debt. At least one has spoken up is support of this.

IMF: Haiti needs a Marshall Plan
The International Monetary Fund says Haiti will require an effort along the lines of the Marshall Plan for long-term reconstruction.

"My belief is that Haiti -- which has been incredibly hit by different things: the food and fuel prices crisis, then the hurricane, then the earthquake -- needs something that is big," the managing director of the Washington-based International Monetary Fund said.

"Not only a piecemeal approach, but something which is much bigger to deal with the reconstruction of the country -- some kind of a Marshall Plan that we need now to implement for Haiti," he said, referring to the US initiative launched in 1947 to rebuild war-ravaged western Europe. Google/Agence France-Presse

ONE wants to raise the number of signatures to 200,000 and deliver it to the world financial leaders when U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and other G7 finance ministers will be meeting in the Arctic Canadian town of Iqaluit. Right now, they are at 175,377 signature.

The question is how much more effective would those dollars have been if they had been invested before the disaster to build Haiti rather than rebuilding a shattered landscape. There isn't really all that much of a commitment coming from the G7 since Haiti was extremely poor before and now is devastated and its ability to repay the debt is basically nil. Fulfilling the promise of the Millennium Declaration would have far more lasting effect.

I am not going to try to claim that the Millennium Development Goals will solve the world's problems or eliminate the tragedy of disasters but they would help the world by making both the ability to withstand them and to address them more equitable and more efficient.

Haiti: Tragedy and Heroism of the MDGs under a Microscope

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One of the positive aspects of this blog is that it helps to put our (my) personal problems into perspective. Work in the "Real World/Day Job" is getting pretty rough because of the current economy and California budget situation. Compared to what is happening in Haiti or for many in other countries including the United States it is a small matter. Still it has required me to spent more time on municipal financial and development issues than on this blog. Now its the weekend and we are all dealing with a massively large challenge - the earthquake in Haiti. All means everyone from governments, to non-government aid organizations, to individuals, even slacktivsts.

The story of the challenge and the response is overwhelming so I decided to take just the last couple of days and make a list of how others are seeing and reacting to this disaster. We chose UNICEF as our means of responding.

$890 million for Haiti

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has the power to help make that happen. Please click the link below to join me and send Secretary Geithner this urgent message:

http://www.one.org/us/actnow/drophaitiandebt/o.pl?id=1398-4356611-0iBFgIx&t=2

As Haiti rebuilds from this disaster, please work to secure the immediate cancellation of Haiti’s $890 million debt and ensure that any emergency earthquake assistance is provided in the forms of grants, not debt-incurring loans.

Thank you,

Sheila Nix
U.S. Executive Director, ONE

Science & Environment Friday, January 15, 2010

In Haiti, aid workers face a dual challenge By Shari Roan The poor nation has long suffered from a lack of medical care and rampant disease. With the earthquake, aid agencies must build a healthcare system on the fly. >>

Tectonics and poor construction conspired to create devastation in Haiti By Cara Mia Dimassa and Alexandra Zavis The earthquake was a massive, shallow eruption beneath a heavily populated area that lacked stringent building standards, resulting in catastrophe. >>

We just received this message from the UN Foundation’s Dr. Daniel Carucci, who traveled to Haiti to deliver medical supplies and assess the situation on the ground in the aftermath of the 7.0 earthquake. I wanted to pass it along right away to give key supporters like you a firsthand look at how relief efforts there are unfolding. His message is a grim reminder of the devastation and urgent needs on the island.

Dan will continue sending updates from the field. We encourage you to follow them at our Haiti Earthquake Response page. Thank you for your support as we assist the UN’s work and help the people of Haiti.

-Kathy Calvin, CEO, UN Foundation

Click here to support the UN Foundation’s critical work by donating to the Central Emergency Response Fund

January 15, 2010 | News covering the UN and the world

Hard-hit UN calls for $550 million in Haiti aid UN Special Envoy to Haiti and former U.S. President Bill Clinton said the earthquake might be the most devastating disaster to have befallen the UN, citing the deaths of 16 employees and disappearance of at least 56 more. UN aid agencies are launching an appeal for $550 million in emergency aid. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said 17 search-and-rescue teams have been deployed in Port-au-Prince, with six more on the way to assist in searching out pockets of survivors still trapped in the rubble. Reuters (1/15) , ABC News (1/15)

The earthquake in Haiti has been catastrophic. More than three million people have been affected, and estimates are that over 50,000 have died. The human suffering is unimaginable.

That's why I'd like to pause from our usual conversation and ask for your help.

A number of organizations are already engaged in critical relief efforts, and I urge you to support as many of them as you can. One of them, Oxfam America, has an emergency response team of more than 200 people already on the ground. The need for clean water and critical public health services is massive and immediate -- and our donations can help save lives.

Make a donation to Oxfam's earthquake relief effort in Haiti:

http://acp.climateprotect.org/oxfam

Or, for a list of other organizations to donate to and ways to make a difference, see http://www.whitehouse.gov/haitiearthquake_embed.

Let's make sure the people of Haiti do not face this disaster alone. Thank you for taking action in the face of this tragedy.

Al Gore
Chairman
Alliance for Climate Protection

Words fail: up to two million children are at risk in Haiti right now.

Separated from their families. Trapped under rubble. Countless newly orphaned. Desperate.

Every moment matters: donate NOW and 100% of every dollar to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF will go directly to fund child-saving relief efforts in Haiti.

We can save these children. I say this because I've seen your generosity and I've seen UNICEF's response. Less than 48 hours ago, UNICEF delivered to Port-au-Prince:

• 10,000 tarpaulins
• 4,600 water containers
• 5.5 million water purification tablets
• 556,000 oral rehydration sachets

Caryl M. Stern
President and CEO
U.S. Fund for UNICEF

P.S. The U.S. Fund for UNICEF is absorbing all administrative fees associated with handling your donation, so that you can be confident 100% of every dollar you give will go directly to relief efforts.

Right now, the International Rescue Committee has deployed its Emergency Response team to help earthquake survivors. Our first priority is to rush medical, water, and sanitation support to local relief groups in Haiti, who are overwhelmed by the scale of this catastrophe.

Your support is urgently needed to help us rescue lives in Haiti. Please donate now. Immediate funding needs to support our response are $1.5 million.

The FP Morning Brief: Security deteriorates as desperation grows in Haiti

Top story: While the international rescue operation is beginning to swing into full gear, desperation is growing for Haiti and the security situation is beginning to deteriorate. Looters in Port-au-Prince broke into a U.N. warehouse stocked with 15,000 tons of provisions. Elsewhere, people formed roadblocks with the bodies of victims to demand faster aid. With Haiti's national police nowhere to be seen, international troops must be relied on to keep order.

From FastCompany Haiti Earthquake Disaster: Google Earth, Online-Map Makers, Texts "Absolutely Crucial"

Just before 5 p.m. on Wednesday, January 13, a magnitude-7 earthquake struck Port-au-Prince, Haiti, flattening hundreds of buildings and killing as many as 100,000 people. (Related slideshow: Haiti Earthquake: A Bird's Eye View of the...

Care2

EDITOR'S NOTE: The tragedy in Haiti has captured us all; the Web is full of stories and aid resources. Of course our community is no exception. We’ve offered plenty of material and several ways to take action. We’re also continually updating the How to Help Haiti. Let us know if we’ve left something out; we’ll continue to update you.

All the best, Cindy

Cynthia Samuels
Managing Editor

The Boston Globe's Daily Headlines

Bereft in rubble, they stagger, dig | Help has yet to reach most in crushed city

From all walks of life, donations pour in

[Slashdot] Stories for 2010-01-15

| Disaster Recovery For Haiti's Cell Phone Networks |
| from the what-the-world-needs-now dept. |
| posted by CmdrTaco on Thursday January 14, @12:01 (Communications) |
| https://tech.slashdot.org/story/10/01/14/1538219/Disaster-Recovery-For-Haitis-Cell-Phone-Ne|


The immediate needs for survivors of the Haiti earthquake include first-aid supplies, clean water, body bags and emergency food rations — and we need your help to rush lifesaving aid to Haiti now. Even a small gift can make a big difference. For example:

• $10 can provide 1,000 people with clean water for a day
• $35 can provide a high energy meal for a family of five
  
  

Your donation of $10, $35 or more can help CARE deliver emergency aid as soon as possible.

CARE has been working in Haiti since 1954, when we helped survivors recover from Hurricane Hazel. After the earthquake struck, CARE was among the first to respond.

Remember, clean water and emergency food rations are urgently needed. Please give now to help CARE deliver emergency aid to the people of Haiti as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Helene D. Gayle, MD, MPH
President and CEO, CARE


We just got our first communication from our staff in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti.
This crisis is like nothing we've seen before and we desperately need your help.

Please make an emergency donation TODAY – help Plan save as many children in Haiti as possible.

Thank you so much for anything you can do to help our efforts in Haiti.

Lisa Ledoux
Internet Marketing Manager
Plan USA

----- ORIGINAL MESSAGE -----
From: Tesfamariam, Rezene
Sent: Thursday, January 14, 2010 1:43 PM
Subject: The situation in Haiti

I just got the possibility of communicating with you through the internet...

The damage of the quake of Tuesday is beyond one's imagination. Although it is very difficult to determine the exact figure, I have seen bodies all along the main street of Port-Au-Prince. I have heard the voices of children trapped in the rubble of their schools.

A major part of the city Port-Au-Prince has been destroyed. Schools, churches, hospitals, and market places are destroyed. Our office in Jacmel, Croix-des-Bouquet and a part of the Country office in Port-Au-Prince are seriously damaged. This is also true for the houses of some of our staff and the residences of our internationals. All communication systems including internet connections were down until today. The quake has left thousands of families without homes and the city has turned into a collection of makeshift camps. In my professional life I have worked with refugees running for their lives and provided support to communities swept away by flood, but not like this. The situation requires quick and well-organized response.

Yesterday morning we drove through some parts of Port-Au-Prince and Croix-des-Bouquet to assess the immediate needs of those affected by the Quake.

We will immediately start providing water, food and hygienic materials to those in the various makeshift camps here in Port-Au-Prince and Jacmel.

We have already formed teams and are addressing the emergency in an organized manner.

We are thankful that other Plan offices are sending us support. Those who are coming will join the team of their specialty.

Thank you very much indeed for your concern and support.

From the New York Times: Patience Wears Thin as Haiti’s Desperation Grows
By MARC LACEY
Aid workers struggled to deliver relief supplies on Friday to survivors increasingly desperate for food and clean water.

There are two ways that you can help with Haiti relief today:

1. Give a Haiti relief charity gift to a Facebook friend.
When you give a charity gift on Facebook, you are buying a specific item needed on the ground in Haiti. We have several new gifts in the Facebook Charity Gift Shop, including:

• Water for Haiti from Oxfam
• Light a Candle for Haiti from UNICEF
• Food for Haiti from CARE
• Shelter for Haiti from the American Red Cross
• Survival Kit from World Vision

Visit the Facebook Charity Gift Shop to see all the Haiti relief Gifts.

2. Join and donate to a cause.
Many nonprofits have started fundraising projects, with funds specifically for Haiti relief, such as:

• Doctors Without Borders
• Friends of the World Food Program
• International Rescue Committee

Thank you for donating at this important time to those who need it most.

The Causes Team

We’re approaching the critical 48 hour mark after the devastating quake struck Haiti. EVERY MINUTE COUNTS: please give now to ActionAid’s relief efforts so we can save as many lives as possible.

The latest news is gut-wrenching. An estimated 3 million people impacted. Tens of thousands likely dead. Even more still trapped under rubble, severely injured, desperately in need of water and care.

Haitian government infrastructure has been crippled, and public services are barely available. United Nations agencies, donor governments and relief organizations still face major obstacles in accessing and distributing supplies. Our ActionAid office in Port-au-Prince has been badly damaged, so our team has now gathered in a private home to coordinate their relief efforts and prioritize next steps.

I'm sending the latest transmission we received from Haiti.

There is no good way to report the news. Thousands have died. Tens of thousands more – especially children – are at risk and may not survive without our immediate help.

Please give NOW – 100% of every dollar you give to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF will be sent directly to UNICEF to support emergency relief efforts.

The initial response to yesterday's appeal has already saved countless lives, but the need continues to overwhelm our available resources. The children of Haiti are relying entirely on international assistance to survive. The Haitian government has little to no means to respond to the crisis.

We are committed to doing whatever it takes to save these children. Please join us.

Thank you,

Caryl M. Stern
President & CEO
U.S. Fund for UNICEF

---

The damage is catastrophic; more than 2 million people have been affected, but the human toll is still unknown. Haiti's president has said the impact on the country is "unimaginable" and estimates that thousands have died.

Donations are urgently needed to rush aid to the area – please give now >>

The initial earthquake struck just before sundown and as many as 28 powerful aftershocks continued throughout the night – the darkness made initial recovery efforts nearly impossible.

Oxfam has four offices in Haiti and over 200 highly-experienced aid workers on the ground. They are already responding to the situation where our assistance is most needed, but we need your help immediately.

Thousands feared dead as major quake strikes Haiti
Dazed and injured Haitians sat on darkened streets pleading for help Wednesday and untold numbers were trapped in tons of rubble brought down by the strongest earthquake to hit this poor Caribbean nation in more than 200 years.
Haiti quake updates & aid effort launched New!
Quake buries 8 Chinese peacekeepers
Chinese rescue team depart for Haiti

U.S. retail chains among those aiding earthquake relief
The nonprofit arms of Publix Super Markets and Wal-Mart are among a slew of U.S. companies and foundations pledging aid to earthquake-torn Haiti this week. The Wal-Mart Foundation has pledged $500,000 in cash and is sending $100,000 worth of food, and Publix Super Markets Charities is donating $100,000. San Jose Mercury News (Calif.)/The Associated Press (1/13)

How the Haiti aid campaign overcame slacktivism
Groups raising money for disaster relief in Haiti have managed to overcome social media's reputation for "slacktivism" by using text messages to collect donations, writes Pete Cashmore. Social campaigns often struggle to convert buzz into concrete action, he writes, but the Haiti campaign's low barrier for entry has helped bring in more than $4 million in donations. "Hitting a button to blast out a message to your friends is easy, but when faced with a credit card payment form, many Web users shy away," Cashmore notes. "Text message donations coupled with the word-of-mouth buzz provided by Twitter and Facebook are proving a powerful combination." CNN (1/14)

Global Health, Gates Foundation, and Giving a Dang

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It is the beginning of a new year and a new decade, making it a good opportunity to look over the past year or so that this blog has been in existence. This continues to be a personal experiment in how to use Web 2.0 for positive affect both personally and globally. This is not where I expected to end up when I started.

My first post was on 24 July 2008 End Poverty 2015 - Millennium Development Goals. This effort grew from what I was doing with My Pathways to New Paradigms blog. Initially, I was only thinking of ways to organize websites solely for my personal use (I had no idea about del.icio.us or diigo). The power of collaborative endeavors made possible by the the Internet not only applied to Web 2.0 but also to the efforts of change-agent (a term borrowed from Seth Godin, an important source of my looking at new paradigms) organizations doing their part to change the world for the better. Back on December 30, 2007, I was posting on a Los Angeles Times article on the Gates Foundation's Best Intentions Unintended Consequences (it was also the post that provided the inspiration to create this blog, due to a comment form Aditi). A couple of months later another post announced that Now, LA Times Recognizes That Africa's Anti-malaria Campaign Is Showing Results.

Recently, I received an even more positive update from fellow ONE member Melinda French Gates, who had visited Tsion, a hard-working young woman in the Ethiopia government's Health Extension Program.

Trained to tend to pregnant mothers, who otherwise would rely on traditional attendants unable to stop internal bleeding or resuscitate newborns, Tsion helped take the terror and fear of death out of childbirth for hundreds of women.

Bill and Melinda Gates are self-declared "Impatient Optimists" and their message was to celebrate successes in global health and especially when it comes to U.S.-funded global health initiatives through their online presentation titled "Living Proof: Why we are Impatient Optimists."

Thanks to 30,000 trained health extension workers like Tsion, access to health care in rural areas is rapidly expanding. And the health of Ethiopian children and women is improving.

That's why, when it comes to global health, Bill and I are optimists—but we're impatient optimists. We need to build on this success now, by expanding it to even more women in Ethiopia and helping families in other countries benefit from what Ethiopia has learned.

Sharing success stories is one of the most important things we can do to motivate and inspire others in the fight against global poverty and disease.

That is what this blog is all about. While the intent was to create something that sought to be transformative in promoting the Millennium Development Goals, its greatest impact has undoubtedly been on myself.

Enjoying Victories - Whether by Democrat or Republican - Whether by Activist or Slacktivist

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This blog endeavors to support the United Nations' Eight Goal Millennium Campaign by supporting the actions of a number of advocacy organizations including ONE. These actions often involve supporting the many different laws focused on the Millennium Development Goal to End Hunger.

Just before Thanksgiving, I sent in my comments urging my Congressional representative (Republican) to sign on to the Berman-Kirk letter requesting a robust International Affairs Budget. I was told that he would take it under advisement.

Well, whether he supported it or not (not), the overall Berman-Kirk FY2011 Budget Campaign was a Resounding Success and a bipartisan one.

A victory in the fight to "Upgrade Aid" occured when the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 15-3 to pass the Foreign Assistance Revitalization and Accountability Act (S.1524) through their committee.

The bill we passed today…is the product of well over a year of research and analysis by Senators and their staffs. It has attracted the support of most development groups, led by the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network. It is co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of 19 Senators, twelve of whom are members of this Committee. This level of backing for a bill related to foreign assistance structure is extremely rare. It provides an opportunity to build something approaching a consensus on this issue.

Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN)
Committee Ranking Member

This legislation demonstrates Congress’s commitment to strengthening the capacity, accountability and effectiveness of our foreign aid programs. With the U.S. facing critical foreign policy and development priorities worldwide, it is vital that we update our foreign aid programs to reflect the new challenges of the 21st century.

Senator John Kerry (D-MA)
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman

I’ve been able to see our foreign assistance dollars in action and am proud of the role we are playing in producing positive change in the lives of millions around the world, but at the same time, I share the frustration of many Americans that our foreign assistance efforts have often lacked transparency, coordination, monitoring and evaluation. This bill begins to reinvigorate USAID to improve the coordination, execution and efficiency of U.S. assistance so we can make each dollar go farther.

Senator Bob Corker (R-TN)
Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on International Development
and Foreign Assistance

This is one of the most significant pieces of foreign assistance legislation that has passed out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in decades. I am proud that this is truly a bi-partisan bill, developed in a collaborative manner and that it includes input from a wide range of voices. These programs are critical to millions of people around the world, they contribute to our mutual economic health, and are in the direct national security interests of the United States.

Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
Chairman of the Subcommittee on International Development and Foreign Assistance

Over 47,000 ONE members signed the petition
19 senators signed on—
9 of these since the campaign was first launched.

Sheila Nix, the U.S. Executive Director, ONE.org tells us that the next step for aid reform will be the White House Presidential Study Directive on U.S. global development, which General Jim Jones and Dr. Larry Summers are working on right now. Stay tuned to the ONE Blog and your email for updates and opportunities to take further action.

The need for this effort is made clear by the testimony of Dr. Helene Gayle, president and CEO of CARE.

In the video she testifies in defense of Global Hunger and Food Security legislation, specifically the Global Food Security Act (HR3077) and the Roadmap to End Global Hunger Act (HR2817).

However, it seems that these bills are still languishing so the work still needs to continue.

BloggersUnite Reminds that Today is World AIDS Day and so does the rest of the world

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BloggersUnite is getting bloggers together today to recognize World Aids Day. World AIDS Day, observed December 1 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. The fact that it remains a global affliction is why it is the 6th Millennium Development Goal Combat HIV/AIDS and other diseases.

What is inspiring is that this is a cause that brings out the best in people. People can get involved at that global level and at the local level, whether they are the rich and famous or just every day folks.

The Catholic Medical Mission Board reminds us for the reason for World Aids Day and provides both reasons to celebrate and reasons to continue the work.

World AIDS Day; a day that reminds us that HIV has not gone away. The scope of the problem seems overwhelming; 33 million people infected, 15 million children orphaned.

60 second video Our efforts to fight HIV/AIDS have already made an impact on countless lives. In the last year, with your help, we have:

• reached 69,786 women with counseling and testing,
• reached 53,184 men, women and children with life-saving antiretroviral treatment,
• provided short course antiretrovirals for HIV prevention in pregnancy to 1,940 women,
• shipped to 39 countries, donated medicines and medical supplies valued at 265 million dollars,
• sent more than 500 healthcare volunteers to 27 countries.

"The people we are helping are living proof of the strength and depth of the human personality."

-John F. Galbraith, President and CEO

Sam Davidson of 5 MINUTES OF CARING shares the idea of glocal which readily applies to this issue and the efforts being undertaken today.

The term "glocal" is used to draw attention to an idea that has both "global" and "local" implications. AIDS certainly fits the bill. Worldwide, over 33 million peopleare living with HIV, and over two million of those are children. Sub-Sarahan Africa is hit the worst with it, and no part of the world is immune to AIDS. So today, learn more about AIDS and then take action on a global level. Whether you support an NGO doing work on the ground, or just pass along this article to a friend, spend five minutes looking at the big picture.

For World AIDS Day, Ashley Greene, ONE Member joined some friends from TV and film to make a video sharing our commitment to defeating extreme poverty and preventable disease. This blog is a small voice but it can also help spread the word.

The more people talk, the more we can accomplish. Just sharing your commitment to fighting global poverty with your friends can inspire them to make the same commitment, and start up a buzz that will build into a roar of collective action.

Throughout history we've seen how committed people, together, can change laws, break barriers and decide elections. And together, we can defeat extreme poverty and eradicate preventable, treatable diseases including HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.

But it takes all of us working together across borders, time zones, cultures...through advocacy, action, and awareness-raising.

World Food Day - here's one thing you can do and I did

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This is an timely update to the post I did earlier on World Food Day. The video came from the folks at ONE

To commemorate World Food Day, the State Department released this excellent video about global food security– the challenges and the opportunities.

I added it with what got from the Oxfam folks.

Today is World Food Day.

It's a sobering moment to consider the impact that hunger has on more than one billion women, men, and children worldwide.

But it can also be an empowering moment. Because we CAN reduce hunger and poverty by working together with poor communities – and by demanding action from our leaders in Congress.

No one should have to go to sleep hungry. Tell Rep. Miller to co-sponsor the Global Food Security Act of 2009.

At least 70% of the world's poor people depend on agriculture for their livelihoods – but climate change, rising food prices, and unfair trade rules present extreme challenges to millions of small farmers.

The Global Food Security Act, along with a new global hunger initiative from President Obama, are decisive steps in the right direction.

These proposals would provide critical resources for investing in agriculture and rural livelihoods – which are both key to reducing poverty.

With broad Congressional support, we can invest more – and more wisely – in local agriculture. We can help small farmers find sustainable and innovative ways to rebuild their livelihoods.

Together we can empower millions.

Sincerely,

Raymond C. Offenheiser
Oxfam America Advocacy Fund

Learn more about hunger and the food crisis by visiting the Oxfam information hub and action center here.

Here is the introduction to my letter to Representative Miller.

I urge you to co-sponsor H.R. 3077, the Global Food Security Act of 2009, sponsored by Congresswoman Betty McCollum of Minnesota. H.R. 3077 would enhance developing nations' ability to respond to future food crises and prevent millions more from falling into poverty and hunger. On this day of all days, World Food Day would be the right time to show your support for this essential effort.

Tell the G20 to go to Africa Again. Why Africa? Ask Africa or Draw the G20 a Picture

Sphere: Related Content The folks from ONE are again asking everybody to Ask the G20 to go to Africa.
Africa must be part of the global economic recovery, and we can help make that happen by asking the G20 to hold an upcoming summit in Africa.

I have already signed and as of this post they have 76,846 which means they reached 76% of their NEW goal of 100,000 signers. This is a reblog of a couple of ONE emails, but hopefully it does some good and arguably the push to have the G20 meeting in Africa can continue after Pittsburgh.

ONE is taking two approaches. One is from Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank.

In my job as President of the African Development Bank, I see the potential of Africa every day. But it is necessary that the G20 see that potential, too—and include Africa in their plans for a new global economic foundation.

That is why I support ONE in asking the leaders of the G20 nations to hold an upcoming summit in Africa. Bringing the G20 to Africa would make it impossible to ignore the role Africa must play in any successful global economic recovery. You can click this link to sign ONE's petition and add your voice to this urgent campaign:

The petition reads:Dear G20 Leaders,
Please hold an upcoming G20 Summit in Africa, and see for yourselves how its one billion people can be part of the global economic recovery.

As this group of twenty of the most powerful world leaders gather in Pittsburgh this week, I hope you'll join me in asking them to host an upcoming summit in Africa and see for themselves that Africa is part of the solution:

Sincerely,

Donald KaberukaPresident, African Development Bank

The other is mural is in the middle of downtown Pittsburgh, where the G20 – a group made up of the leaders of twenty of the world's most powerful nations.

This stunning visual petition asks those leaders to host a future summit in Africa and focus the attention of the world on how Africa can be part of a stronger, more stable global economy. And trust me, the presidents, prime ministers, and members of the media following them here in Pittsburgh won't be able to miss it.

Ask others to add their voices and check out this powerful message-by-mural, and you'll be doing everything possible to tell the G20 to host an upcoming summit in Africa:

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• African campaigners unite in call for more action against poverty

• Accession of African Activists. A DIY approach to the MDGs

  
  

Upgrading Foreign Aid ONE important step in reaching the Millennium Development Goals

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The folks at ONE are reminding us that the law governing U.S. foreign aid policy was written in 1961, when Kennedy was president, roughly half of Africa was still under colonial rule, and the Beatles were just a bar band in Liverpool. I am basically just passing on what they said plus, as usual, adding a few links to provide more information.

So they want us all to take opportunity to bring our foreign assistance into the 21st century, so its is, as they say, better reflecting American ingenuity, generosity and values and more effectively fighting global poverty.

The idea is to call your senator(s) and tell them to "upgrade aid" now by cosponsoring the bipartisan Foreign Assistance Revitalization and Accountability Act of 2009 (S. 1524):

Mine in California are:

• Senator Dianne Feinstein
  Phone: (888) 441-3347
• Senator Barbara Boxer
  Phone: (888) 441-3346
  

You can find instructions and talking points and report your call here:

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is set to discuss this bill next Tuesday, September 22. To get S. 1524 moved on to the full Senate, we need to show support now for making U.S. aid programs better and smarter. Call your senator(s) today:

Introduced by Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Richard Lugar (R-IN), S. 1524 strengthens our ability to identify which aid programs work and which don't. It empowers USAID—the U.S. agency responsible for international development—to improve staff expertise and strategic planning; increase transparency and accountability; coordinate U.S. development programs; and align those programs with what's important to beneficiaries on the ground.

The connection with the Millennium Development Goals should be obvious. If the United States is not taking a leadership position on this issue both financially and morally, it is not likely that we will make any real progress. As ONE states:

U.S. foreign assistance has saved millions of lives, and thanks to your support for results-focused initiatives such as PEPFAR, the Global Fund and the Millennium Challenge Account, many of our investments are making a difference. But the way much of our aid is organized and delivered leaves room for an upgrade.

Tell the G20 - Go to Africa

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The current economic crisis has dealt a hard blow against the already lackluster efforts to implement the MDGs. We have already dealt with the fact that the Financial Industry Receives 10 Times More Money in 1 year than Poor Countries Receive in 49 Years. It doesn't look any better in the future. A Reuter's story by Laura MacInnis back on July looked at the dialogue between the G8 and the World Bank and determined that 2009 will remain dangerous a year.

The Group of Eight nations should not presume a global economic recovery is near, World Bank President Robert Zoellick said in a letter to G8 host Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi obtained by Reuters on Monday.

In his letter, Zoellick stressed the July 8-10 summit should also "focus on the plight of the poor in the developing world."

In the year to June 30, the World Bank committed $60 billion in aid to developing nations, much of it for infrastructure projects. Zoellick said wealthy nations should not hold back on further aid commitments in spite of the economic uncertainty.

There has been some signs that things may be staying the same. G-20 Ministers Back Stimulus, but Pay Limits Are Elusive BUSINESS / GLOBAL BUSINESS | September 06, 2009 By NELSON D. SCHWARTZ and JULIA WERDIGIER

The world's financial ministers vowed to keep their multi-trillion-dollar stimulus efforts in place, but at a meeting failed to agree on any firm limits on bankers' bonuses.

Britain’s chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, said members of the G-20 “have to make sure that we finish the job we started.” He added: “There is still a lot of risk, a lot of uncertainty and a lot of obstacles to negotiate.”

So what kind of statement can be made to influence how the world's economic leaders look at the plight and potential of developing countries?

Well the folks from ONE have an idea. When the world's Presidents and Prime Ministers fly to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on September 24 for the G20 Summit (the latest in a series of high-level talks on the global economy, covering everything from international trade to the rules governing financial markets), ask that the G20 to host an upcoming summit in Africa and put that continent's potential on the political map.

ONE argue that if an African country is picked next to host an upcoming G20 summit, it would bring new attention to the role Africa can and must play in any successful global economic recovery. This blog has no problem supporting that idea having long featured TED Talks Africa, The Next Chapter which proves the point.

Click the link to add your name to our petition

The petition reads:

Dear G20 Leaders,

Please hold an upcoming G20 Summit in Africa, and see for yourselves how its one billion people can be part of the global economic recovery.

David Lane of ONE tells us that,

The Africa I've seen is ready to join the global marketplace and help drive economic growth. And its agricultural resources, if fully developed, could feed the world. In a recent visit to Ethiopia—where malaria deaths have been halved in only two years—I visited the new Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX), a first of its kind electronic, international exchange for coffee, grain and other agricultural products. The ECX is entrepreneurialism at its best, helping farmers and traders get fair prices for their goods.

This kind of success is being repeated across Africa. Through smart aid and African-led innovation, poverty and disease are giving way to trade and opportunity. Now, we need the leaders of the G20 nations to go to Africa and see it for themselves.

Tell the G20 that one of their upcoming meetings must be in Africa:

Here is Economist Eleni Gabre-Madhin in a 2007 TEDTalk outlining the ambitious vision that became the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX).