Global Weekly Update August 27, 2012

Top Actions: Education for All Opportunities Including a Campaign Call Tonight, August 28!

1. Top Learning Opportunity: Education For All Campaign Overview Tonight, August 28. 

Allison Grossman, Senior Legislative Associate and Tony Baker, Education For All Campaign Manager will be leading a conference call tonight at 9 pm ET for all RESULTS advocates to learn about our Education For All plans for September and October. We’ll be focusing on the Global Partnership for Education, the World Bank, and the Education For All Act during these months- come and be informed about how it’s all working together to help get kids in school. Call in to (712) 432-3100, passcode 761262 to join. You’ll find a recording of the call here afterward.

2. Top Action: Ask Your Representative to Sign the Global Partnership for Education Letter. We Have Been Given More Time! Letter Closes September 10. 

RESULTS is supporting USAID’s efforts to get 15 million kids in school by 2015 and Global Partnership for Education’s (GPE) goal of getting 25 million kids in school by 2014. This means that we can put more than 25 million kids in school if we support both efforts in the coming years. For us, these are the two ways to reach those 61 million children who need and deserve an education.

The US has the resources to support both USAID’s and GPE’s work. USAID requested $573 million to carry out their education plan in 2013. Both the House and the Senate have put $800 million in there spending bills for 2013. This means that we can accomplish USAID’s goals and also invest $125 million in GPE in 2013. And this is exactly what Rep. Schakowsky and others are requesting. Both Democrats and Republicans support GPE, so ask all Reps. to sign.

Ask your representative to sign on to Rep. Schakowsky’s sign-on letter to Secretary of State Clinton.

• You can find a laser talk here that will help you make your call. Use the Capitol Switchboard number: (202) 224-3121.
• Use our online action alert to take action, and share it with others.
• Use our August Action Sheet on the Global Partnership for Education which offers details and support.
• Find a current list of signers on our blog.

Next Education For All Opportunity: September 8 National Conference Call. 

Ask all group members to put the date aside to meet up with the group for the 2 pm ET call. Our guest speaker will be Katie Malouf, Policy Advisor for Oxfam America. Katie’s work focuses on global advocacy with an emphasis on expanding access to quality basic education for all children, and universal, equitable health care in developing countries with a particular focus on the international financial institutions. She works closely with RESULTS on our Education For All advocacy and will offer some particularly helpful insights.

From Broken Promise to Public Success:  A September Webinar on the World Bank’s 2010 Pledge to Basic Education

Did you know that the World Bank has actually turned a 2010 pledge to increase support to basic education into a pledge to decrease it?  Want to find out how such a 180 degree turn can be made and success still be claimed?  

Join Tony Baker, RESULTS’ Education for All Campaign Manager, on September 12 at 9 pm ET for a valuable webinar. Join him in exploring what has happened and what you can do to set the record straight so that children across the world can have a quality education.

To join the meeting from your computer or mobile device, click or copy and paste this URL into your browser: 
https://www.fuzemeeting.com/fuze/f2988286/17249590

To join the audio portion of this meeting, choose your dial-in method: Toll and international dial-in: +1 (775) 996-3560, toll-free: (800) 741-4032, or Skype the contact “fuzemeeting.” When prompted, enter the room number 796141. 

Passionate About Microfinance? Sign and Share Microfinance Petition on Grameen!

The government of Bangladesh is weakening the world’s flagship microfinance organization, Grameen Bank, and taking away the rights of the women shareholders. Here is what you can do:

• Sign the Grameen Bank petition then share with friends via email, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media. We’d love to see the petition get 5000 signatures!
• Read an excellent op-ed from the Times of Trenton on the Grameen situation, then share it. Ask your local paper to consider reprinting it.
• Check out our blog post on this issue for more background in and action items.

Fundraising in the Windy City and Beyond

Congratulations and thank you to Chicago partners who had an afternoon fundraiser on Sunday at a Mexican restaurant to celebrate education campaign successes! Ireta Gasner from Ounce of Prevention spoke about Head Start and Cindy Changyit Levin shared one of our favorite grassroots stories about our global Education for All campaign. They were very excited about telling their stories to new donors including teachers and welcoming staff and board members from ONE, Microcredit Summit Campaign, and Bread for the World.

Please contact Beth Wilson if you know people in Alaska or Washington State who would like to attend a RESULTS event, as we have many exciting events in those areas coming up in the next month. Please help us promote them if you know anyone in these cities!

• Seattle, WA – Sept 15, 5:00 – 7 pm. House party with Dr. Chris Dunford, Freedom from Hunger. Contact Karen Gielen. 
• Bremerton/Kitsap, WA – Sept 16 Luncheon event with Dr. Chris Dunford, Freedom from Hunger. Contact Beth Wilson. 
• Anchorage, AK – Sept 21 House party with John Hatch, Founder of FINCA. Contact Roger Hudson & Mary Martin. 
• Sitka, AK – Sept 22 Dinner event with John Hatch, Founder of FINCA. Contact Michele Friedman. 
• Tacoma, WA – Sept 26 Dinner event with Kolleen Bouchane, Director of the ACTION Project. Contact Phyllis Bjorkman. 

“The International Conference was a major stepping-stone in terms of my advocacy training, but it is the commitment and resiliency shown by RESULTS on a day-to-day basis that provides me with the skills and conviction I need to do the best I can in fighting for the end of global poverty.”

-Luke Record, RESULTS Group Leader at Fairfield University, reflecting on his experience at the RESULTS International Conference

1. August 28, 9 pm ET: Education For All Campaign Overview Call for September and October. All advocates welcome. Dial (712) 432-3100, passcode 761262 to get information and inspiration for our campaign push.

2. August 29, 9 pm ET: Social Media Rapid Response Team. Dial (866) 503-7713, Conference code 4091413579. Please RSVP to Laura Ochoa if you would like to join.

3. September 5 (9 pm ET) and 21 (1 pm ET): RESULTS Introductory Calls. Please RSVP for the call so we can welcome you. Dial in number: (712) 432-3100, passcode 761262

4. September 8, 2 pm ET: National Conference Call: Focus on our fall Education For All emphasis. Dial (888) 409-6709 a few minutes before the call.

5. September 12, 9 pm ET: Webinar on the World Bank and Education for All. See Weekly Update for full details on how to join.  

6. September 17, 8 pm ET: Global Free Agents Call. Join this call if you are an activist in a town where there is no RESULTS group (yet). Contact Lisa Marchal for more information. Dial (218) 486-1611, passcode 7378587 (RESULTS) to join the call.