Global Weekly Update January 31, 2011
Top Action: Invite New Activists to New Activist Orientation Starting February 2
New Activist Orientation (a series of four calls) will begin this Wednesday, February 2, and will run every other Wednesday through March 16. Calls will be held at 9:00 pm ET. Contact Lisa Marchal for more information or to sign up. This is a great training for new activists and those who have been watching RESULTS from the sidelines.
Also, our grassroots base has been busy this month with group planning. Now is the time to finish and submit your plan so that, together, we move toward all the 2011 advocacy opportunities that lay before us! Now is also the time to invite new partners in your group to become better acquainted with RESULTS!
If you need assistance as you complete your group planning process, don’t hesitate to contact your regional coordinator. Also, take advantage of our orientation series we run several times each year.
Time to Start Planning Outreach for World Tuberculosis Day Events
Only two months left to plan and prepare for the upcoming World TB Day on March 24! As part of your group planning, don’t forget that REF provides you with resources particularly geared toward helping you make an impact in your community. Last week, RESULTS hosted a media training with 12 domestic TB experts and patient-advocates and is currently looking for ways to match these TB- and media-savvy folks with your grassroots events (community forums, university panels, rallies, TB walks, media events, or congressional meetings). Contact RESULTS Outreach and Advocacy Associate Crickett Nicovich if you have an upcoming event where you can utilize the skills of these experts. Other opportunities include funding in amounts up to $5,000 for local TB advocacy events through ACTION supported mini-grants and the upcoming launch of a web-based curriculum designed to enroll high school students (and their educators) in TB advocacy. Remember to apply now for a mini-grant! Applications are due February 15.
Global Fund: Transparency in Action
Transparency is a crucial principle in effective foreign aid. Last week we learned what can happen when transparency about global health funding can be used to distort the bigger picture.
The Associated Press, drawing on publicly available reports from the Global Fund’s own Office of Inspector General, wrote a sensationalist story about corruption in some Global Fund grants. Although the article focused on misuse of funds in just 4 of 145 countries where the Global Fund operates, and on the misuse of $34 million out of $13 billion, the story had the tone of a major breaking scandal.
In fact, this is exactly how it’s supposed to work. The Global Fund aggressively investigated suspected cases of mismanaged funding, took corrective action (including the suspension and termination of grants), demanded the return of stolen money, aided criminal investigations launched by the authorities, and publicly reported these actions on its web site.
How should donor governments respond? By rewarding the Global Fund for its transparency — not punishing it.
Remind President Obama that Education for All Should Be a Development Priority
In President Obama’s State of the Union (SOTU) address last week, President Obama missed a key opportunity to link U.S.-based education policy to the U.S.’s work on global education. Joanna Kuebler, the director of the Global Campaign for Education U.S.-based coalition, released a statement in response to the SOTU:
“During [the] State of the Union Address, President Barack Obama rightly focused on the importance of creating jobs, reducing spending, and ensuring our nation’s security. The Global Campaign for Education, U.S. (GCE-US) applauds the president for articulating the critical tie between investing in education and promoting economic growth. However, White House actions of late has GCE-US deeply concerned about the direction of the president’s foreign policy agenda. President Obama has chosen not to make education a global development priority ‘anytime in the near future’ according to White House officials during a recent meeting in Washington.”
Read more about our work on global access to basic eduation and sign the GCE-US petition to President Obama calling for education to be a development priority.
Have you witnessed an extraordinary act of advocacy by a fellow RESULTS grassroots partner? Let us know! Share the story with Lisa Marchal. We’d love to celebrate it!
January 31–February 4: Congressional recess
February 2 and 16, March 2, and 16: New Activist Orientation 4-session series. 9 pm ET. Call (712) 432-3100, passcode 761262. To RSVP or to get more information, contact Lisa Marchal. Join us for the series and get better acquainted with RESULTS!
February 12: Global Conference Call. 2:00 pm ET. (888) 409-6709
February 21–25: Congressional Recess
March 8: International Women’s Day
March 12: Global Conference Call. 2:00 pm ET. (888) 409-6709
March 21–25: Congressional Recess
Other Dates
June 19–21: RESULTS International Conference in Washington, D.C., Four Points Sheraton