Global Weekly Update February 22, 2011

House slashes foreign assistance; Senate needs to hear from you

The House of Representatives has voted to make severe cuts to poverty-focused foreign assistance, including global health, basic education, and microcredit programs. Now the Senate must pass its own spending bill, and your Senators need to hear from you. Learn more about what’s happening right now in Congress, and what you can do to make your voice heard.

Outreach Is the Only Way to Generate New Voices

Our members of Congress find themselves in a bind — even if they believe in foreign aid programs, they fear backlash from their constituents. They are desperate for grassroots and grasstops constituent support on our issues. We must generate more voices and educate the public. Schedule an outreach workshop in March. Contact your grassroots staff or RCs for support. Here are some ideas and resources:

1. Organize around World TB Day (March 24)

• Ask a U.S. TB advocate to come to your community
• Educate your community about the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria
• Work with local public health officials to highlight the good news about the TB in the U.S. and new TB diagnostics, and the risks of TB if we don’t address it around the globe

See our World TB Day Resource page to help with planning.

2. Invite the Global Poverty Project to Your Community

Our RESULTS colleagues in the UK and Australia have worked with the Global Poverty Project (GPP) to engage new activists. GPP does an inspiring presentation called 1.4 Billion Reasons. The presentation is designed to educate people on poverty and inspire them to take action. In the U.S. they’ll ask people at the presentations to get involved, and to “Live Below the Line” for one week in May. They want to work with RESULTS so we become an option for involvement after the presentations. This is an exciting opportunity for us. Either fill out the form on their scheduling page or contact Ken Patterson if you are interested in GPP coming to your community.

3. Education and Action on Appropriations

In order to make sure that we the U.S. does not end lives as we try to reduce deficits, hold an education and action meeting in your community to educate community members on foreign aid and its benefits. We have many resources including an Action Sheet, an excellent fact sheet on Why Foreign Aid Matters, quick but moving videos on rotavirus and AIDS, speeches by Bill Gates and Tom Ridge, an excellent op-ed by conservative columnist Michael Gerson, a bipartisan op-ed in Politico, and other appropriations resources.

4. To Catch a Dollar

Our domestic campaigns will be encourage groups to get involved with premiers of the film, To Catch a Dollar. The film is about bringing the Grameen Bank model to the U.S. via Grameen America, but there will be many microfinance fans at the movie. This would be a great place to table.

International Conference Registration is Open! Register Early to Come to D.C. in June!

Registration is now open for the 2011 International Conference (IC). Come meet activists from around the world, get educated about effective solutions to poverty, and speak up on Capitol Hill. Last year we really moved the needle on Education for All, the Global Fund sign on letter, the Muhammad Yunus Congressional Gold Medal bill, and a Senate letter to the World Bank. This year we will need every possible voice in Washington as life-saving programs are threatened with cuts.

Register by March 15 to receive the early bird registration fee of $199.

Visit our International Conference homepage to learn more about the conference, register, and information on how to secure a hotel room (they will be gone quickly!)

We have a new, interactive online grassroots forum. The forum will enable activists to communicate and collaborate more directly. Click on My RESULTS, get your own personalized sign in name, and start collaborating.

February 21–25: Congressional Recess

March: Outreach Month! Organize a group outreach workshop.

March 2 and March 16: New Activist Orientation series continues. 9:00 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!

March 8: International Women’s Day

March 12: Global Conference Call. 2:00 pm ET. (888) 409-6709

March 24: World TB Day

March 21–25: Congressional Recess

April 9: Global Conference Call. 2:00 pm ET. (888) 409-6709

June 19–21: RESULTS International Conference in Washington, D.C., Four Points Sheraton