Global Weekly Update August 4, 2014
GAVI Alliance Campaign for Child Vaccines in Full Swing
1. National Grassroots Conference Call This Saturday, Aug. 9. Joan Awunyo-Akaba, a passionate advocate for childhood vaccines and the involvement of communities in delivering vaccines and strengthening health systems, will be our special conference call guest. As the civil society representative on the GAVI Alliance Board, and a member of GAVI's civil society steering committee, Ms. Awunyo-Akaba leads international civil society efforts to input into GAVI programming and policies. Join us at 2 pm ET on August 9 by dialing in to 888-409-6709.
2. Top Action: Book a Face-to-Face Meeting with Your Rep. and Ask for H.Res. 688 Cosponsorship. Our advocacy from now through January 2015 will focus on childhood vaccinations. GAVI (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations) is seeking $7.5 billion for a 5-year plan to vaccinate 300 million children, save 5-6 million lives, and increase the percentage of the world's fully vaccinated children from 5% to 50%.
Your Regional Coordinators have challenged us all to get 115 cosponsors onto the resolution by October 1 and 180 by the close of the 113th Congress in December.
This number was built off the fact that you helped us get 105 legislators on a spring House letter supporting maternal and child health. If we can get those representatives onto the resolution and add 75 more cosponsors, we have our goal. This is the perfect request to take to a face-to-face meeting as we seek to have meetings with one-third of the Senate and all of the House districts we cover.
- Information on the resolution, including the text and growing cosponsor list
- "Dear Colleague" cover letter which offers information on who your representative can contact to sign on as well as a list of endorsing organizations
- Online action alert you can use and share to ask your representative to support the resolution
We are also looking for senators willing to introduce a GAVI resolution in the Senate. Contact Crickett Nicovich, Lisa Marchal, or Ken Patterson for more assistance in calling your representative or senators into leadership.
Meeting face-to-face with your legislators while they are back in home states and districts for the August recess is one of the most powerful things you can do to advocate for the end of extreme poverty. And because the August recess extends for an entire month, it's your best chance to book meetings with your legislators. Meet with them at their offices and at town hall meetings. Ask them for cosponsorship and thank them for cosponsorship!
3. August Action Sheet Available. The August Action Sheet is now available! The Action Sheet will help you make your GAVI resolution request; it includes great talking points about GAVI that will help you in your conversation with your legislators. Use and share with others.
Other GAVI Campaign Support
1. Media Training. During our GAVI campaign over the next six months, we will have an opportunity to strengthen our U.S.-based RESULTS groups' media capabilities through training and support. To start, we have funding to organize several regional trainings and would like to coach someone from as many groups as possible – perhaps an existing media point person in your group who needs support in having a real breakthrough or someone newer to the group who is poised to take on the media challenge. Free agent advocates are welcome to attend as well!
Trainings will be held September 12-14 and September 26-28. More specific details about participants expectations, etc., can easily be made available to those interested. (We will provide transportation, lodging, and food for all participants.) Interested? Contact Ken Patterson, Director of Global Poverty Advocacy, as soon as possible. Also, contact Allison Gallaher for some terrific additional support for your media work.
2. Webinars. In late spring, staffers Crickett Nicovich and Alison Root led an informative primer on the GAVI Alliance and our 2014 campaign. Coming up on August 14 at 9 pm ET, Crickett will lead another webinar, this time reviewing GAVI but going further to outline our targets, tools, and tactics for our advocacy work. Join the webinar online at the following URL: https://www.fuzemeeting.com/fuze/f2988286/25587759. Recordings of both webinars will be available in the coming days.
3. Grassroots Growth. If you are part of a RESULTS group, identify an Action Network Manager who will mobilize others. If you aren't part of a group, identify 5 other people you want to put into action regularly. Let Lisa Marchal know you are interested in mobilizing an action network.
4. Community Influence & Relationship. Think of community "grasstops" leaders who might support our GAVI efforts (public health officials, Chamber of Commerce members, etc.). Grasstops folks are influential leaders in your communities. Our goal is to engage more grasstops leaders in taking action with us, and we will provide you support in developing those relationships. Contact Teresa Rugg for support in building your grasstops relationships. Additionally, check out our top tips on our website.
Good Stuff for Grassroots Advocates
1. Reporting Helps. Please report both your lobby meetings and your other advocacy actions for the month. It's is useful in many ways . . . for follow-up, for marking progress, and for inspiring others to invest in us!
2. RESULTS is Expanding! Energy is growing in several new areas for the strengthening of our grassroots voice for the end of global poverty. RESULTS is actively seeking advocates to work with us to create groups or join newly forming groups in the following cities: Lawrence, Topeka, and Kansas City (KS); Phoenix; Athens (GA), and Auburn (AL). Do you know someone from one of these communities who is waiting to be inspired into action? Are you living in one of these communities and ready to become a RESULTS group member? If so, we want to hear from you! Get in touch with Amanda Beals, Global Health Organizer.
3. Fundraising Update. Just a reminder that the RESULTS online system that handles friends and family campaigns and online donations for events is currently being transitioned to a new platform this week and they will be unavailable until August 15, when the new platform will roll out for use. Additionally, if you are interested in hosting a friends and family site or a local event later this month, or in the second half of 2014, please contact Jen DeFranco, your fundraising coach, to let her know so you can receive the support you need to set up your new page, or event.
4. Influencing Your Member of Congress. Need a fresh take on how to build the kind of relationship with your members of Congress that will really help you move your advocacy forward? RESULTS advocate and professional coach Sunil Bhaskaran graciously recorded a coaching session on May 12, complete with companion PowerPoint, you can access on demand to hone your skills in this critical area.
5. Book Club Led by Sam Daley-Harris. Ready to be inspired? Want to get in touch with your personal power? Want to hear more about RESULTS from the beginning? Consider joining the book discussion of "Reclaiming Our Democracy" by Sam Daley-Harris, founder of RESULTS. Sam will be leading the conversation to help mark the 20th anniversary of this great book, and all are welcome. Use this as an outreach opportunity for your community! Online sign-up is now open. The discussion series will be held August 13, 20, and 27 at 9 pm ET. We hope you can come to the entire series, but don't hesitate to attend any one of the sessions. Once you sign up, you will receive e-mail confirmation with pertinent reading assignments and the dial-in information. We look forward to a vibrant conversation!
"As we approach Aug. 18—500 days until the target date for the M[illennium] D[evelopment] G[oal]s—and as we discuss the agenda to follow in 2016, now is the time to recommit to doing everything we can to build momentum. The progress we make now will make a difference in lives around the world and lay the foundation for our shared future efforts."
-Kathy Calvin, president and CEO of the United Nations Foundation
1. Next Congressional Recesses: Now through Labor Day. Request face-to-face meetings.
2. August 9, 2 pm ET. RESULTS National Conference Call for Global Campaigns. Learn the latest on RESULTS' work to end poverty globally. Call 888-409-6709 a few minutes before 2 pm ET to join activists from all over the country! If you cannot make the call, we post audio files and PowerPoint presentations on our conference call webpage.
3. August 13, 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. August 14, 9 pm ET. "Our GAVI Alliance Campaign" webinar. Overview, targets, tactics, and more. Join at https://www.fuzemeeting.com/fuze/f2988286/25587759.
5. August 18, 8 pm ET. RESULTS Free Agents Call for Global Poverty Advocates. Dial 267-507-0370, passcode 7378587. 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.
6. August 22, 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.