Global Weekly Update November 25, 2013
The Global Fund Fourth Voluntary Replenishment Conference, No Time to Lose: Sharing the Responsibility to Save Lives
1. Your Global Fund Media Work and a New AIDS Report by the ONE Campaign. Next week is the big event: the Global Fund replenishment conference, to be held here in the U.S. December 2-3. You have been hard at work getting at least six editorials, 11 op-eds, two news articles, and 26 letters to the editor published across the country, with more still coming in. Then this morning our friends at the ONE Campaign released their annual AIDS report, monitoring progress toward the beginning of the end of AIDS and mapping out how we can get there. Here’s the upshot:
“If current rates of acceleration in both adding individuals to treatment and in reducing new HIV infections continue, we will achieve the beginning of the end of AIDS by 2015.”
Whether you’re the author of one of these media hits or not, you can share one (or all!) of these great pieces on social media, using the hashtag #BeTheGeneration and mentioning our leaders with their Twitter handles. If you can, get others to leave positive comments on online pieces, or encourage them to write a letter to the editor in response. And send media directly to your Members of Congress, being sure to include a note about why these issues are so important to you.
Read more about your amazing media work, and the ONE Campaign's annual AIDS report, in a blog post by our own Deputy Director of Communications Colin Smith.
2. Tracking the Global Fund Replenishment Conference. To track progress towards the Global Fund’s goal of raising $15 billion for its 2014-2016 grants, the Global Fund Advocates Network has created a new web page providing live updates on donor pledges in the run up to the replenishment conference. Following announcements from the U.S., the UK, France, Germany, the Nordic countries, private donors and other organizations, the total amount pledged so far is around $6.5 billion dollars. At the close of the Global Fund’s 30th board meeting, Mark Dybul, executive director of the Global Fund, said that he was highly confident that the value of pledges at the conference in December will significantly exceed the $9.2 billion that was pledged at the replenishment in October 2010 for the three-year period now coming to an end. He said the only question is: By how much?
In addition to the pledge tracker, the Global Fund Advocates Network and the Here I Am Campaign have produced a series of campaign materials and created an online petition to support the replenishment. The latest video, Voices in Support of Full Replenishment, features personal messages from people who have benefited from the Global Fund’s HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria programs.
“The Global Fund provides more than 80% of international financing for the fight against TB, so it is essential for us all that the Fund is fully funded,” said Dr Lucica Ditiu, Executive Secretary of the Stop TB Partnership. “I am confident that donors who may still be reflecting over their contributions will understand that we are in this together and we have a great opportunity to finish off these three diseases. We are part of a generation that can make history, but we need to make it now. There is no time to lose.”
Global Education: Honoring Rep. Lowey, More Global Partnership for Education Information.
1. RESULTS Honors Rep. Nita Lowey for Her Leadership on Global Education. Twenty-five years ago this month, Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. As RESULTS volunteers know well, since her election, Ms. Lowey has become an unparalleled champion for the right for all children around the world to access a quality education. Last Wednesday night, RESULTS partnered with the Global Campaign for Education–US and the Basic Education Coalition to honor Congresswoman Lowey for her long-time leadership in Congress on global basic education programs. Check out more in a blog post written by Senior Legislative Associate Allison Grossman.
2. Read a New Series on the U.S.'s Pledge to the Global Partnership for Education. RESULTS has released a new series of discussion papers chronicling the U.S. financial commitment to the GPE Fund. The papers are a three-part set reviewing the 2011 U.S. pledge to GPE and looking ahead at the role of the United States in GPE’s upcoming replenishment campaign. Read more from Education for All Campaign Manager Tony Baker on our blog.
The December Action Sheet: Protect Foreign Aid
The good news? For the most part, the poverty-focused development programs in the International Affairs budget for which RESULTS advocates have been spared major cuts, though there have been reductions. The bad news? U.S. investments in the International Affairs Budget have been cut by 19 percent since 2010, and more cuts could be on the way as Congress wrangles to come up with a 2014 budget deal that both parties can agree upon.
So we must do what we do best. We must raise our voices to protect live-saving poverty-focused foreign aid for next year and beyond.
Grab the December 2013 Action Sheet, grab a pencil or a laptop, and take a stand. Then ask a friend or your RESULTS group to do the same. As Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA) has said, "We ought to make sure we are making investments in the people of the world, making investments in peace and security and democracy, and seeing to it that there is no hunger, seeing to it that there is more opportunity, seeing to it that there is clean water, that there is basic education for the people of the world.”
Also for December, mark your calendars for our final national grassroots conference call of the year! It will be a joint call with our U.S. poverty advocates around the country. It will be a great hour of information, encouragement, and celebration! Dial (888) 409-6709 at 2 pm ET on Saturday, December 14 to join.
Holiday Fundraising is Spreading Cheer, Saving Lives
Do you know anyone in the Olympia (WA) area? Our partners there are cooking up a wonderful house party event on Thursday, December 5 with RESULTS board member Ernie Loevinsohn. For more information to share with Washington friends, visit the event website.
Thank you to all our partners taking part in our Virtual Thanksgiving Feast online fundraiser. Congratulations on raising almost $2000 so far! In these last few days before the Thanksgiving holiday, it is the perfect time to remind your friends that they can help others eat by making a donation during a season of thanks and giving.
"The Global Fund has supported work by our partners that has achieved a great deal since we started in 2002. There is a lot more to do. Our common goal — to get these three deadly diseases under control — is within reach if we continue working together."
— Dr. Mark Dybul, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
(For a complete calendar, see our website.)
1. Upcoming Congressional Recesses: House: November 22-December 1; Senate: November 22-December 8.
2. November 28-29: RESULTS is closed for the Thanksgiving holiday. Happy Thanksgiving!
3. December 4, 9 pm ET. RESULTS Introductory Call. Heard of RESULTS and want to know more? Join us for this 30-minute introductory call. Contact us with any questions and RSVP for the call. Dial (712) 432-3100, passcode 761262 to join.
4. December 13, 1 pm ET. RESULTS Introductory Call. Heard of RESULTS and want to know more? Join us for this 30-minute introductory call. Contact us with any questions and RSVP for the call. Dial (712) 432-3100, passcode 761262 to join.
5. December 14, 2 pm ET. RESULTS National Grassroots Conference Call for Global Poverty Campaigns. This call will be a joint call with our fellow advocates working on domestic poverty advocacy! Dial (888) 409-6709 to join.
6. December Monthly Media Support Call, date TBD. Dial (218) 862-1300, passcode 682494 to join. Want to be part of the on-going support that’s available to help you reach your media goals? Then this is the call for you! Join monthly for inspiration and ideas to keep you going.
7. January 6, 8 pm ET – CORRECTED special date. Next RESULTS Free Agents call for global poverty advocates. Dial (218) 486-1611, passcode 7378587 (RESULTS). Are you a RESULTS activist with our global poverty campaigns, living in a town with no RESULTS group? You are alone no more! Contact Lisa Marchal, Senior Global Grassroots Associate, for more information on this monthly group call.
8. January 11, 2 pm ET. First RESULTS National Grassroots Conference Call for Global Poverty Campaigns. Focus: Planning, dreaming, and scheming for impact in 2014!